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Page updated · Independent public directory · Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · Not a government agency · By Bill Dahlstrom

Is My Tap Water Safe? City Water or a Well

It depends on whether a public water system or a private well supplies your home, and here is how to tell in two minutes.

How to tell in two minutes

CDC: "In the United States, 9 out of 10 people get their tap water from a public water system. The utilities that provide this water are required to meet safe drinking water standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)." (CDC)

  1. Read the water bill. A utility name means a public system. CDC: "If you do not know who supplies your tap water, check your water bill or use EPA's water service map." (CDC, EPA map)
  2. If you do not pay the bill yourself, ask the person who does. CDC: "If you do not directly pay your water bill, check online or ask your building manager or landlord for the water quality report." A management company may pay it for an apartment, condo, or rental house. (CDC)
  3. If a utility supplies the house, open the yearly report in the next section. If the water comes from a private well, CDC says you will not get that report. EPA says private well owners "are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to their households," and that private domestic wells "are not regulated by the Federal Government under the Safe Drinking Water Act nor by most state governments and laws." (CDC, EPA)

Find your water system and the yearly report

EPA calls it a Consumer Confidence Report, also called an annual drinking water quality report. "Reports must be sent by your water supplier each year by July 1." (EPA)

The supplier's name is on the water bill. Then open EPA's Find Your Local CCR tool. EPA: "Your CCR tells you where your water comes from and what's in it." EPA also says: "CCRs for all water systems may not be available." Search by state first. Add the county if you need a shorter list. (EPA)

CDC says community water systems that serve the same people year-round must provide the report. You will not get one from a private well, or from a system that serves a hospital, a school, or a place where people do not stay long, such as a gas station or campground. If the finder has no report and none came in the mail, contact the utility. (CDC)

The report names where the water comes from, the levels found over the past year, and any time the utility did not follow EPA's rules. If there is an immediate health risk, CDC says the utility must tell you within 24 hours. Follow that notice. (CDC)

What the report's numbers mean

The report includes a table of results from the past year. CDC says the table shows whether germs and chemicals met EPA's health standards, and to look for a column called violations, meets standard, or something similar. A violation is any time the utility did not meet safe drinking water standards or follow EPA's rules. The report must say what the violation was, how long it lasted, whether it caused a health risk, and how the utility is fixing it. (CDC)

The same limits are on What do my water test results mean? Type a number there and see how it compares.

  • MCL. The highest level allowed in drinking water. It is enforceable. (EPA)
  • Action level. If more than 10% of a water system's tap samples are over it, the system must take more steps. (EPA)
  • Secondary. A guideline for taste, color, and odor that EPA does not enforce. (EPA)

These limits are for public water systems, not private wells. (USGS)

When a home test is worth it

The yearly report describes the water the utility supplies. CDC: "Once water enters the pipes on your property, the utility no longer monitors it." CDC also says: "If you are having water quality problems caused by the pipes or water devices in your home, it is your (or the person who owns your home's) responsibility to fix the problem." (CDC)

  • Lead pipes. EPA: "In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water." EPA: "Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water." Lead pipes · Free lead test kits (EPA)
  • Old plumbing. EPA: "The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, fittings, faucets and fixtures." EPA: "Other sources of lead in water are from brass or chrome-plated brass faucets, as well as plumbing with lead solder." EPA says lead pipes are more likely in older cities and homes built before 1986. (EPA)
  • A private well. EPA: "Test your private well annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels." How often to test a well (EPA)
  • A change in taste or smell. On a private well, EPA lists this reason to test sooner: "You notice a change in your water quality (i.e. odor, color, taste)." On city water, a secondary standard covers taste, color, and odor, and EPA does not enforce it. A chlorine smell has its own explanation. Call the utility if you are concerned. (EPA, Chlorine in tap water)
  • After a boil notice. Follow the notice first. A home test does not replace it. EPA: use bottled water, or drink the water "only after letting the water boil for one minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes) and then letting it cool." "Always follow the directions set by your water system during a water advisory." When the advisory is lifted, the utility may tell you to flush the pipes before you use the water as usual. Boiling does not remove lead. (EPA, EPA on lead)

Free and low-cost tests by state

Type a town, a county, or a zip code. The list is public programs that serve that place, with the price and who can use them. Each row links to the state page. Free water testing lists the programs posted at $0.

Your water comes from

When a mail-in lab test makes sense

Use a public program when one serves your home. A mail-in lab test is the option when that search lists nothing you can use, or when you want a lab result from your own tap.

Common questions

Is my tap water safe?

It depends on whether a public water system or a private well supplies your home. CDC says 9 out of 10 people in the United States get tap water from a public system, and those utilities must meet safe drinking water standards set by EPA. A private well does not get the yearly city report. EPA says the owner is responsible for that water.

How do I know if I have city water or a well?

Check the water bill for a utility name, or use EPA's map of community water system service areas. CDC says to start there if you do not know who supplies your tap water. If a landlord or manager pays the bill, ask them for the yearly report. CDC says you will not get that report if your tap water comes from a private well.

Where do I find my water quality report?

Your water supplier must send a Consumer Confidence Report, also called an annual drinking water quality report, by July 1 each year. EPA's Find Your Local CCR tool lists reports by state. CDC says if you do not see it online and did not get one in the mail, contact your water utility.

What do the numbers in the report mean?

The report's table shows test results from the past year. CDC says to look for a column such as violations or meets standard. EPA's MCL is the highest level allowed in drinking water, and it is enforceable. If more than 10% of a system's tap samples are over an action level, the system must take more steps. A secondary standard is a guideline for taste, color, and odor that EPA does not enforce. These limits are for public water systems, not private wells. The results checker on this site lets you type a number and compare it with the EPA limit.

Do I need my own test if the city report looks fine?

The city report covers the water the utility supplies. CDC says that once water enters the pipes on your property, the utility no longer monitors it. EPA says you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, so testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water. Test if you have lead pipes, faucets or solder that can add lead, or a private well.

What should I do during a boil notice?

Follow the notice. EPA says a boil water advisory means use bottled water, or boil drinking water for one minute and let it cool. Above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes. Boiling does not remove lead. When the utility lifts the notice, follow its directions. Those directions may include flushing the pipes.

CDC, EPA, and USGS pages checked October 16, 2026. Prices on the mail-in tests use the dates printed on those cards.

Bill Dahlstrom

By Bill Dahlstrom, 15 years in radon mitigation. His company has more than 700 five-star Google reviews. Health facts on this page come from the agencies linked here. About Bill