The Champions Leading the Pack
Picture this: you turn on your tap and crystal-clear water flows without a second thought. For millions of Americans, this isn’t just a dream—it’s daily reality. Washington state has emerged as the undisputed champion of tap water quality, with 84.5% of customers giving their water positive marks according to J.D. Power’s 2024 survey. “Washington has been able to avoid problems that other states have been facing,” explains industry expert Ramah Vaughn. “They’ve been able to provide a premium product without complaints about taste and smell.”
But Washington isn’t alone in this victory lap. Hawaii shines as the state with the absolute best tap water quality, recording a mere two water quality violations—a remarkable achievement given federal water quality regulations. Following close behind are Nebraska and Delaware, with 121 and 131 violations respectively. What’s fascinating is that these top performers span across the country geographically, from the tropical islands of Hawaii to the heartlands of Nebraska, sharing a common success in providing relatively safe and clean tap water to their residents.
Behind the Scenes of Success
The secret weapon behind these success stories? Strategic investment and federal partnerships. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program provides low-cost financing to communities for water quality infrastructure projects, with EPA announcing $8.8 billion for both Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs in 2024 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
New York demonstrates how massive investment can transform water infrastructure. The state committed over $2.2 billion in water infrastructure funding in fiscal year 2024, executing 269 project finance agreements with local governments and eligible entities. The results speak volumes: over 450,000 linear feet of sewer pipe were added or replaced, over 3 million gallons of drinking water storage was added or rehabilitated, and green innovation projects will reduce stormwater runoff by 748,068 cubic feet annually.
The States Falling Behind
On the flip side, some states are struggling to keep their heads above water—literally. Pennsylvania leads the nation in water violations with a staggering 24,525 violations in 2023 alone, followed by Texas with 15,340 and West Virginia with 7,473. Of Pennsylvania’s violations, 14,808 were related to monitoring and reporting—suggesting systemic issues in oversight.
The customer satisfaction surveys paint an equally troubling picture. Arizona, New Mexico, and Alabama earned the lowest water quality favorability scores, with only 62.6%, 65.2%, and 65.8% of customers rating their water favorably, respectively. Arizona’s situation is particularly dire—the state’s tap water is considered among the most dangerous in the nation, with Phoenix tap water containing the highest average levels of chromium-6, a known carcinogen, in the United States.
The Infrastructure Crisis Exposed
Texas exemplifies the infrastructure breakdown plaguing many states. The state has the fifth-highest number of lead-based water lines with 647,640 pipes, accounting for 7.05% of all lead lines in the country. Over a 10-year period, the city of Lubbock alone received 362 violations for exceeding legal amounts of fluoride and arsenic.
The situation has reached crisis proportions in some areas. Due to aging infrastructure, water systems have issued 55% more boil-water notices between 2018 and 2022. During just the first three months of 2023, Texas issued 759 notices—averaging about eight per day. The human impact is staggering: about 12.07 million Texans are served with unsafe water, and recent reports indicate Texas has the country’s most radiated drinking water.
The PFAS Emergency
Arizona faces a particularly menacing threat from “forever chemicals.” The EPA has ordered the U.S. Air Force and Arizona National Guard to address rising PFAS contamination in Tucson’s groundwater, where these chemicals have reached dangerous concentrations near the Tucson International Airport and National Guard base.
Florida’s battle with PFAS is equally alarming. The state leads the country with 1.16 million lead pipes—12.6% of the nation’s total—and Miami has the second-highest levels of PFAS in its tap water nationally. A 2024 Environmental Working Group report ranks Pennsylvania among the top 5 states with the most contaminated drinking water systems, with 19% of tested water systems containing PFAS levels above new EPA standards. The USGS found that 76% of Pennsylvania rivers and streams contained one or more types of PFAS chemicals in 2023.
The Economic Divide
The harsh reality is that one-fourth of Americans currently receive water from sources that violate EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act. The most-affected areas are often low-income and rural communities, partly because the latest water treatment technology is expensive and many small water systems find it difficult to maintain federal standards.
Smart states are leveraging federal pandemic recovery funds strategically. Idaho budgeted 60% of its Federal Recovery Fund allocation for water infrastructure, including $300 million in grants to communities. Utah is making significant investments in water efficiency and conservation, while South Dakota and Montana are targeting rural communities with their federal allocations.
The Innovation Leaders
Washington state exemplifies how innovation drives success. The state allocated $309 million to support 136 projects in 2024, with nearly 90% of the funding from their water quality program passed through to local communities. Their clean water funding combines state and federal sources, including $40 million from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Washington’s pioneering approach includes a pilot process where communities can apply for wastewater funding outside the annual cycle. For their first pilot project, they’re providing $60,000 to help the Town of Metaline Falls update their general sewer plan, emphasizing the identification and replacement of aging infrastructure to prevent future emergencies.
Federal Investment Flowing to Winners
The Biden-Harris administration has dramatically increased federal water infrastructure investment. Since 2022, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has injected almost $25 billion into water infrastructure projects across the country, protecting public health and creating jobs. The administration’s commitment is unprecedented—the Infrastructure Law invests over $50 billion to upgrade America’s water infrastructure, representing the largest investment in clean water in American history.
New York demonstrates how federal partnerships can transform state water systems. Between 2022-2023, the state received $814.4 million for clean water and drinking water State Revolving Funds, and with 2024 funding, New York’s total Infrastructure Law water funds exceed $1.2 billion.
The Climate Challenge Factor
Climate change is forcing innovative solutions in vulnerable states. The city of Tucson, Arizona, where drinking water supplies have been stressed by drought and PFAS pollution, received a $33.5 million forgivable loan to build a new drinking water treatment facility that will eliminate contaminants and restore clean drinking water for the community.
Forward-thinking states are addressing climate impacts proactively. Washington’s approach includes $37.5 million for 41 stormwater projects, with the Port of Everett receiving $255,000 to install a modular wetland system that can reduce copper, zinc, phosphorus, and oil pollutants.
The Monitoring and Reporting Gap
The violation categories reveal deeper systemic issues. Health-based violations include failure to remove harmful chemicals or pathogens, while monitoring and reporting violations indicate oversight failures. These drinking water violations can lead to serious health outcomes, including gastrointestinal illnesses from pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium.
However, the EPA emphasizes that violation numbers don’t tell the complete story. “The data reported to the EPA consists of violations of Safe Drinking Water Act regulations,” an EPA spokesperson explained. “Compliance data reported to the EPA does not directly measure drinking water quality as this depends on violation type and other factors unique to each water system.”
The Financial Reality Check
The numbers are staggering: water utilities need $625 billion over the next 20 years just for drinking water infrastructure, while clean water infrastructure needs exceed $1 trillion. The United States’ water utilities have been underfunded for decades, leaving state and local governments with massive capital needs. Climate change will only increase costs over the next several decades, underlining the critical importance of addressing water infrastructure projects immediately.
The burden is already hitting American families hard. The combined water and sewer bill for a typical household has increased 54.8% since 2012, and 41% of customers say they don’t feel the water provided by their local utility is safe to drink.
Looking Forward: The Path to Clean Water Victory
The clean water race isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about political will, strategic investment, and innovative partnerships. States like Washington, Hawaii, and New York prove that with the right combination of federal support, state commitment, and community engagement, clean water isn’t just possible—it’s achievable.
The lagging states face a choice: continue struggling with outdated systems and mounting violations, or follow the playbook of the winners. With unprecedented federal funding available and proven models of success, the question isn’t whether states can win the clean water race—it’s whether they’ll choose to compete.
What’s your state doing to ensure clean water flows from every tap?
