Drinking-water safety · % of systems in violation
States With the Safest Community Tap Water
The states where the smallest share of community water systems have a recent health-based violation.
Hawaii leads "States With the Safest Community Tap Water" at 6%.
| # | State / item | % of systems in violation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii 117 systems | 6% |
| 2 | Iowa 1,078 systems | 9.2% |
| 3 | Georgia 1,718 systems | 9.9% |
| 4 | Washington 2,403 systems | 10.7% |
| 5 | Minnesota 995 systems | 11.2% |
| 6 | North Dakota 318 systems | 11.6% |
| 7 | Delaware 209 systems | 13.4% |
| 8 | Alabama 545 systems | 14.7% |
| 9 | Virginia 1,052 systems | 15.1% |
| 10 | New York 2,202 systems | 16.2% |
| 11 | South Carolina 557 systems | 18.9% |
| 12 | Montana 813 systems | 20.3% |
| 13 | Vermont 377 systems | 20.7% |
| 14 | Michigan 1,429 systems | 21.3% |
| 15 | Massachusetts 559 systems | 22.4% |
Method: Lower is better. Limited to states with at least 50 community water systems.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1 refresh; violations since 2016