Safety of US Tap Water Remains Murky

As critics pan bottled water as wasteful and frivolous, many Americans are turning back to tap water—only to find a debate of equal concern waiting at their kitchen sinks. The Wall Street Journal examines the controversy over tap-water purity, and why many argue the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect us from newly discovered impurities.

Water quality experts are particularly concerned by the presence of pharmaceutical drugs in the public water supply—at levels that could affect humans, particularly pregnant women and those with chronic health issues. Other chemicals, including fuel additives, are being targeted by state regulators who say the Environmental Protection Agency has failed at the federal level to keep water supplies safe.