"EWG rated big city (population over 250,000) water utilities based on three criteria:
Total number of chemicals detected since 2004.
Percentage of chemicals found of those tested for. Some states did not provide data on the full range of chemicals tested for but not detected. For purposes of these rankings, EWG assumed that utilities tested for the 80 contaminants regulated by EPA whenever fewer than that number were reported.
The highest average level for an individual pollutant relative to either:
legal limits (for regulated chemicals), or,
national average concentrations (for unregulated chemicals). We computed national average concentrations using data from utilities that reported detecting the compound."
Big city water ratings:
1. Arlington, TX
2. Providence, RI
3. Forth Worth, TX
4. Charleston, SC
5. Boston, MA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Austin, TX
8. Fairfax County, VA
9. St. Louis, MO
10. Minneapolis, MN
11. Richmond, VA
12. Dallas, TX
13. New York, NY (NYC DEP Jamaica)
14. Oklahoma City, OK
15. Buffalo, NY
16. Cincinnati, OH
17. St. Paul, MN
18. Sacramento, CA
19. Milwaukee, WI
20. Odessa, FL
21. Bridgeport, CT
22. Louisville, KY
23. Hartford, CT
24. Springfield, MA
25. Seattle, WA
26. Greensboro, NC
27. Newport News, VA
28. Winston-Salem, NC
29. San Antonio, TX
30. Kent, OH
31. Birmingham, AL
32. Pittsburgh, PA
33. San Francisco, CA
34. Chicago, IL
35. Toledo, OH
36. Oakland, CA
37. New Haven, CT
38. Manatee County, FL
39. Monroe County, NY
40. Long Beach, CA
41. New York, NY (NYC, DEP Catskill/Delaware)
42. Layton, UT
43. Fort Wayne, IN
44. Corpus Christi, TX
45. Tacoma, WA
46. Miami, FL
47. Palm Beach County, CA
48. Bryn Mawr, PA
49. Erie County, NY
50. Plano, TX
51. Albuquerque, NM
52. St. Louis County, MO
53. Phoenix, AZ
54. Stockton, CA
55. New York, NY (NYC DEP, Croton)
56. Mobile, AL
57. Pinellas County, FL
58. Los Angeles Suburbs, CA
59. Portland, OR
60. Philadelphia, PA
61. Santa Ana, CA
62. Totowa Borough, NJ
63. Mahwah, NJ
64. Norfolk, VA
65. Hillsborough County, FL
66. Tucson, AZ
67. Lexington, KY
68. Tampa, FL
69. Baltimore, MD
70. Alameda County, CA
71. Tulsa, OK
72. Cleveland, OH
73. Pittsburgh City, PA
74. Raleigh, NC
75. Columbus, OH
76. Mesa, AZ
77. Charlotte, NC
78. Little Rock, AR
79. Anaheim, CA
80. Salt Lake City, UT
81. Orlando, FL
82. Montgomery & Prince George's Counties, MD
83. Los Angeles, CA
84. San Jose, CA
85. Haworth Boro, NJ
86. Cocoa, FL
87. West Milford
88. Chino Hills, CA
89. Fresno, CA
90. Indianapolis, IN
91. Jacksonville, FL
92. San Diego, CA
93. North Las Vegas, NV
94. Omaha, NE
95. Houston, TX
96. Reno, NV
97. Riverside Country, CA
98. Las Vegas, NV
99. Riverside, CA
100. Pensacola, FL
Total number of chemicals detected since 2004.
Percentage of chemicals found of those tested for. Some states did not provide data on the full range of chemicals tested for but not detected. For purposes of these rankings, EWG assumed that utilities tested for the 80 contaminants regulated by EPA whenever fewer than that number were reported.
The highest average level for an individual pollutant relative to either:
legal limits (for regulated chemicals), or,
national average concentrations (for unregulated chemicals). We computed national average concentrations using data from utilities that reported detecting the compound."
Big city water ratings:
1. Arlington, TX
2. Providence, RI
3. Forth Worth, TX
4. Charleston, SC
5. Boston, MA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Austin, TX
8. Fairfax County, VA
9. St. Louis, MO
10. Minneapolis, MN
11. Richmond, VA
12. Dallas, TX
13. New York, NY (NYC DEP Jamaica)
14. Oklahoma City, OK
15. Buffalo, NY
16. Cincinnati, OH
17. St. Paul, MN
18. Sacramento, CA
19. Milwaukee, WI
20. Odessa, FL
21. Bridgeport, CT
22. Louisville, KY
23. Hartford, CT
24. Springfield, MA
25. Seattle, WA
26. Greensboro, NC
27. Newport News, VA
28. Winston-Salem, NC
29. San Antonio, TX
30. Kent, OH
31. Birmingham, AL
32. Pittsburgh, PA
33. San Francisco, CA
34. Chicago, IL
35. Toledo, OH
36. Oakland, CA
37. New Haven, CT
38. Manatee County, FL
39. Monroe County, NY
40. Long Beach, CA
41. New York, NY (NYC, DEP Catskill/Delaware)
42. Layton, UT
43. Fort Wayne, IN
44. Corpus Christi, TX
45. Tacoma, WA
46. Miami, FL
47. Palm Beach County, CA
48. Bryn Mawr, PA
49. Erie County, NY
50. Plano, TX
51. Albuquerque, NM
52. St. Louis County, MO
53. Phoenix, AZ
54. Stockton, CA
55. New York, NY (NYC DEP, Croton)
56. Mobile, AL
57. Pinellas County, FL
58. Los Angeles Suburbs, CA
59. Portland, OR
60. Philadelphia, PA
61. Santa Ana, CA
62. Totowa Borough, NJ
63. Mahwah, NJ
64. Norfolk, VA
65. Hillsborough County, FL
66. Tucson, AZ
67. Lexington, KY
68. Tampa, FL
69. Baltimore, MD
70. Alameda County, CA
71. Tulsa, OK
72. Cleveland, OH
73. Pittsburgh City, PA
74. Raleigh, NC
75. Columbus, OH
76. Mesa, AZ
77. Charlotte, NC
78. Little Rock, AR
79. Anaheim, CA
80. Salt Lake City, UT
81. Orlando, FL
82. Montgomery & Prince George's Counties, MD
83. Los Angeles, CA
84. San Jose, CA
85. Haworth Boro, NJ
86. Cocoa, FL
87. West Milford
88. Chino Hills, CA
89. Fresno, CA
90. Indianapolis, IN
91. Jacksonville, FL
92. San Diego, CA
93. North Las Vegas, NV
94. Omaha, NE
95. Houston, TX
96. Reno, NV
97. Riverside Country, CA
98. Las Vegas, NV
99. Riverside, CA
100. Pensacola, FL
