Water Quality Blog
Investigations, guides, and analysis about drinking water in Connecticut. Backed by EPA, USGS & EWG data.
Why Chloramine, Not Just Chlorine, Kills Aquarium Fish
Chloramine is chlorine bonded to ammonia. It does not off-gas from a standing bucket the way chlorine does, and a plain carbon pad won't remove it fast. Here's how to actually make tap water safe for fish.
128 articles
How to Calculate Your PFAS Hazard Index (Step by Step)
The EPA PFAS Hazard Index divides each forever chemical by its health-based value, then adds them: four PFAS each under 10 ppt can still top the limit of 1. Here's the math.
Feline CKD and Tap Water: Lead, Uranium & Kidneys
One study found unfiltered tap water was associated with 3.43× higher odds of chronic kidney disease in cats. Here's the honest science, plus derived safe levels for lead and uranium.
Microplastics in Water and Reproductive Health
Microplastics now appear in human placenta, testes and follicular fluid, yet tap water has no federal limit. See the 2026 reproductive research and how RO removes them.
2026 EPA PFAS Rollback Explained: What Changes
EPA's May 2026 proposal keeps the 4 ppt limits on PFOA and PFOS but would rescind or reconsider limits on 4 other PFAS. Here's what changes, and what doesn't.
EPA PFAS Rollback 2026: What It Means for Pregnancy
EPA's proposed 2026 PFAS rollback would drop limits on 4 of 6 forever chemicals. All still cross the placenta, and EPA's health goal for PFOA is zero.
PFAS Half-Life in Dogs vs. Humans Explained
Dogs clear PFOA in about 8–30 days versus 2–10 years in people, but they drink far more water per pound. Here's why that trade-off doesn't make pets safe, plus derived dog and cat screening levels.
Aging Livers and Water Contaminants: The Clearance Gap
After 65, liver and kidney clearance can fall 30-40%, so the same tap water is a bigger internal dose. Here is the CYP450 and GFR mechanism, told honestly.
THMs & Pregnancy: Chlorine Byproduct Birth Defects
THMs are chlorination byproducts linked to birth defects. EPA allows 80 ppb, but our pregnancy-safe estimate is ~25 ppb, about 3x stricter. See the gap.
Arsenic in Well Water for Dogs: The 10 ppb Screening Level
For an adult dog, the derived arsenic screening level is the EPA limit of 10 ppb — about 3.3 ppb for puppies and seniors. Private wells are the real concern.
PFAS, IVF & Fertility: Forever Chemicals in Tap Water
PFAS in tap water are linked to lower IVF success and reduced fertility. The EPA's legal limit is 4 ppt, but its health-based goal for PFOA and PFOS is zero.
Does Baby Water Filter Remove PFAS? NSF Certs
Does your baby's water filter remove PFAS? Only NSF/ANSI 53, 58, or P473-certified filters are proven to. RO cuts PFOA/PFOS 90%+; EPA's 2024 limit is 4 ppt.
Pharmaceuticals in Tap Water: Trace Levels Explained
Antibiotics, hormones, and antidepressants show up in city tap water at nanogram-per-liter traces. There is no federal MCL for any of them. Here's what the science honestly says, and what removes them.
Fluoride in Pet Water: Safe for Dogs & Cats?
Fluoridated municipal tap water runs about 0.7 ppm — below the veterinary guideline of under 2 ppm. For most adult dogs and cats it's fine. Here's when fluoride actually matters.
Atrazine in Tap Water: Endocrine Disruptor & Fertility
Atrazine's EPA legal limit is 3 ppb, 30 times the 0.1 ppb health guideline. See what this endocrine-disrupting herbicide means for fertility and pregnancy.
EWG vs. Tap Score vs. CCR: 3 Different "Safe" Answers
The same water can pass your CCR, fail EWG, and read differently on a Tap Score lab test. The reason: EPA's arsenic limit sits 2,500× above the health guideline.
Scottish Terriers, Bladder Cancer & Tap Water THMs
Scotties carry an 18–20× genetic risk of bladder cancer. The proven environmental trigger is lawn herbicides — but tap water THMs (EPA 80 ppb vs EWG 0.15 ppb) are worth watching too.
Water Filter for Baby Formula: RO vs Carbon vs Ion
Which water filter is best for baby formula? Reverse osmosis (NSF/ANSI 58) cuts lead, arsenic, and nitrate ~99%. Compare RO vs carbon block vs ion exchange.
Is New Haven Tap Water Safe to Drink? RWA Data
New Haven city water carries lead and PFOA with no safe level, putting young children (ages 2 to under 6) and dogs at higher risk, so test your tap and filter it with reverse osmosis.
How to Read Your Water Report (CCR) as a Parent
Read your water quality report (CCR) as a new parent: what MCL, MCLG, and action level mean, why lead has no safe level and arsenic's limit is 2,500x too high.
Arsenic and Heart Disease in Older Adults
Arsenic and cardiovascular disease share a dose-related link that lands hardest on older hearts. EPA allows 10 ppb; the health goal is 0.004 ppb, a 2,500x gap.
Bedlington Terriers, Copper & Tap Water: COMMD1
Bedlington Terriers carry a COMMD1 gene deletion that traps copper in the liver. The EPA allows 1.3 ppm in tap water; these dogs need closer to 0.1 ppm.
Does Tap Water Affect Fertility? 5 to Test Before TTC
Does tap water affect fertility? For PFOA, the EPA's legal limit is 1,000x above the health-based level. See 5 contaminants to test before you conceive.
Well Water Testing for Newborns: 7 Contaminants
Well water test for newborns: private wells are federally unregulated, so 7 contaminants need a lab test before formula. Arsenic's safe level is 0.004 ppb, not 10.
Is Tap Water Safe for Dogs? The Canine Physiology Gap
EPA drinking-water limits are set for a 176-lb adult human — not a 30-lb terrier who drinks 2–3× more water per pound. Here's what that gap means for lead and arsenic, with derived dog safe levels.
Point-of-Use Filters: Legal vs Safe Water Gap
The EPA lets arsenic sit at 10 ppb, 2,500x above the 0.004 ppb health guideline. Point-of-use filters are how a household closes the legal-vs-safe gap.
Chromium-6 Pregnancy Safe Level: Legal vs. Real
No federal limit exists for chromium-6, yet the pregnancy safe level is 0.02 ppb, 5,000x below the 100 ppb total-chromium limit the EPA allows. See the real number.
Dogs, THMs & Bladder Cancer: The Sentinel Science
Do disinfection byproducts cause canine bladder cancer? The honest answer: the association isn't proven — but dogs are valuable water sentinels. EPA allows 80 ppb THMs; EWG's health goal is 0.15 ppb.
Manganese in Baby Formula Water: 20 ppb IQ Limit
Manganese in tap water used for baby formula is linked to lower child IQ. California sets a 20 ppb health target for bottle-fed infants, 15x below EPA's advisory.
Fluoride and Thyroid Function: The Honest Dose Story
Higher fluoride is linked to lower thyroid function, but at the 0.7 mg/L US fluoridation target the evidence is mixed. The clearer risk is high-fluoride wells.
Do Cat Fountains Really Filter Contaminants?
A cat fountain is a hydration tool, not a filter: its charcoal pad won't remove lead, PFAS, or nitrate. One study tied filtered water to lower feline CKD odds.
Chloramine vs Chlorine: Safe in Pregnancy?
Chloramine vs chlorine in pregnancy: the disinfectant isn't the main risk, its byproducts are. THMs' pregnancy-safe level runs about 3x below the legal cap.
Arsenic in Well Water While Pregnant: Safe Levels
Arsenic in well water while pregnant: the EPA's 10 ppb legal limit is 2,500x above the 0.004 ppb level that protects a fetus. Here's the real safe number.
Herbicides in Well Water: Atrazine & Glyphosate
Atrazine's EPA limit is 3 ppb, 30x the 0.1 ppb health guideline. Private wells are unregulated, and herbicide levels can spike after spring spraying. Test after.
Best Water for Baby Formula: Tap vs Bottled vs Nursery
The best water for baby formula isn't plain tap or bottled. Arsenic's safe level for infants is 0.004 ppb, 2,500x below the legal limit. Here's what to use.
Labradors, Copper & Water: A Stricter Safe Target
The EPA's 1.3 ppm copper limit won't harm a normal dog, but Labradors carry ATP7B copper-storage variants that make a stricter 0.1 ppm water target prudent.
Contaminants That Cross the Placenta in Tap Water
Five tap water contaminants cross the placental barrier. Lead and PFOA have no safe fetal level; arsenic's is 0.004 ppb, 2,500x below the EPA legal limit.
Radon in Well Water: Why the Real Risk Is the Air
Radon in well water is mostly an inhalation risk. It off-gasses into indoor air during showers and washing. There is no enforceable federal limit, and about 168 cancer deaths a year are linked to it.
Is Well Water Safe for Dogs? The Unregulated Truth
A 2025 Dog Aging Project study found 64% of private-well samples had at least one heavy metal above an EPA or health limit. Here's what to test for.
Cadmium in Water: Why Infants Accumulate More
Cadmium in drinking water builds up in infants for decades. The EPA's 5 ppb legal limit sits 125x above the 0.04 ppb health guideline. See the safe number.
Doberman Copper Hepatitis: The Tap Water Input
Dobermans are a copper-associated hepatopathy breed. EPA lets copper reach 1.3 ppm; our derived screening level for copper-storage breeds is 0.1 ppm. Here's the honest picture.
GenX (HFPO-DA): The PFOA Replacement, Explained
GenX (HFPO-DA) replaced PFOA as a safer alternative, yet targets the same organ, the liver. EPA's 2024 rule sets a 10 ppt limit and folds it into the PFAS Hazard Index.
Is Tap Water Safe During Pregnancy? Legal vs Safe
Is tap water safe during pregnancy? EPA's legal arsenic limit is 2,500x above the level a fetus is protected at. See the real safe numbers — and how to hit them.
Boiling Tap Water for Baby Formula: Lead & Arsenic
Boiling baby formula water kills Cronobacter but never removes lead or arsenic. Arsenic's health guideline is 0.004 ppb, 2,500x below the legal limit.
Barium in Water and Blood Pressure: Risk After 65
Barium's EPA limit is 2 mg/L, but health scientists flag 0.7 mg/L for older adults with high blood pressure. Here's the cardiovascular gap and how to close it.
Lead Poisoning in Dogs and Cats: No Safe Level
Lead has no safe level for dogs or cats. The EPA action level is 15 ppb, but puppies and kittens absorb up to 50% of the lead they ingest. Here's what that means.
Nitrate in Well Water While Pregnant: Legal vs Safe
Nitrate in well water while pregnant: the EPA's 10 mg/L legal limit sits 71x above the 0.14 mg/L health guideline. See the real safe number for your baby.
Lead in Baby Formula Water: Why Infants Absorb 40-50%
Infants absorb 40-50% of the lead in formula water, vs ~10% in adults, and there's no safe level of lead for a baby. Here's how to filter it out of your tap.
Westies, Bladder Cancer & Tap Water DBPs
Westies are among the breeds genetically predisposed to bladder cancer. The tap-water DBP link is weak and observational — here's the honest, precautionary take, with the EWG 0.15 ppb THM level.
State Water Rules: Why Protection Depends on Your State
Federal law allows arsenic up to 10 ppb, 2,500× California's 0.004 ppb health goal. Some states set stricter limits, so protection depends on where you live.
OEHHA Age Sensitivity Factor: The 10x Infant Rule
OEHHA's Age Sensitivity Factor weighs early-life cancer risk 10x per dose. Here's why infant arsenic exposure needs a safe level far below the 10 ppb legal limit.
Does Your Dog Need a Reverse Osmosis Filter?
RO is the most complete filter for metals and PFAS, but not every dog needs it. Lead has no safe level; arsenic's derived dog level is 10 ppb. Test first, then match the filter.
HAA5 in Water: Legal Limit vs. Zero Health Goal
The EPA legally allows 60 ppb of HAA5 chlorination byproducts in tap water, yet its own health goal for one of the five, dichloroacetic acid, is zero. Here is the honest gap.
Water Filters and Sperm Quality: What Research Says
Can water filters improve sperm quality? EPA allows atrazine at 3 ppb, 30x the 0.1 ppb health guideline. See what research says about endocrine disruptors in tap water.
Arsenic in Baby Formula Water: Safe Level for Newborns
Arsenic in baby formula water: the EPA's 10 ppb legal limit is 2,500x above the 0.004 ppb health-protective guideline. Here's the real safe level for a newborn.
Microcystin and Dogs: Blue-Green Algae Liver Failure
Blue-green algae blooms kill dogs every summer. Microcystin causes acute liver failure within hours; our derived drinking-water screening level is 0.2 ppb.
Why Babies Need Stricter Water Standards: The Science
Why are babies more sensitive to water contaminants? Newborns drink 150 mL/kg/day and absorb 40-50% of lead vs 10% in adults. The 10x science, explained.
Why Cats Need Filtered Water: Two Feline Weaknesses
Cats have two unrelated water weaknesses: they can't glucuronidate pesticides like permethrin (zero tolerance), and their hemoglobin oxidizes easily, halving safe chloramine to 2 ppm.
Best Reverse Osmosis for PFAS: The Cert to Check
Reverse osmosis rejects over 99% of PFAS and can reach below EPA's 4 ppt limit. The spec that proves it: NSF/ANSI 58 certified for PFOA and PFOS reduction.
RO vs Carbon Filter for Pregnancy: PFAS & Arsenic
Best water filter for pregnancy? Reverse osmosis reduces 90-99% of arsenic, lead, and PFAS; carbon filters miss arsenic entirely. See the full RO vs carbon comparison.
PFAS Hazard Index in Pregnancy: Why 3 Safe PFAS Fail
The PFAS hazard index adds up mixtures of forever chemicals: three PFAS each below 10 ppt can still fail EPA's limit of 1. Here's what it means in pregnancy.
Who Regulates Pet Drinking Water? (No One)
No U.S. agency sets drinking-water limits for dogs or cats. Here's the honest method CheckYourTap uses to derive screening levels — human standard, vet safety factor, species intake, breed genetics.
Thallium in Tap Water: The 20x Legal-vs-Safe Gap
Thallium is a potent neurotoxin that mimics potassium. The EPA allows 2 ppb, but the health goal is 0.1 ppb, a 20x gap that matters most for aging kidneys and nerves.
Boiling Tap Water While Pregnant: Does It Help?
Boiling tap water while pregnant kills microbes but concentrates lead and arsenic as water evaporates. It cannot remove metals, and arsenic's safe level is 0.004 ppb.
Permethrin and Cats: Why Zero Is the Only Safe Level
Cats can't metabolize permethrin, and feline permethrin toxicosis carries roughly a 10.5% fatality rate. That's why the derived cat safe level is zero, a hard veto with no lower limit.
Blue Baby Syndrome: Safe Nitrate Level for Formula
Nitrate above 10 mg/L in well water can cause blue baby syndrome, but the safe level for infant formula is 0.14 mg/L as N, a 71x gap. See the real number.
How the EPA Sets MCLs: MCLG vs MCL Explained
The EPA's health goal for lead and arsenic is zero, yet the enforceable arsenic limit is 10 ppb. Here's how the MCLG-vs-MCL feasibility gap actually works.
Bottled vs Tap Water in Pregnancy: Microplastics
Bottled water vs tap in pregnancy: bottled-only drinkers ingest ~90,000 microplastics a year vs ~4,000 for tap. See the safer choice and the filter that works.
Best Water Filters for Immunocompromised Patients
Chlorine doesn't reliably kill Cryptosporidium. Immunocompromised patients need an NSF/ANSI 53 cyst-reduction filter (absolute 1 micron) or reverse osmosis.
Fluoride, Infant Formula & the NTP 2024 Findings
Is fluoride in tap water safe for infant formula? The NTP 2024 review tied lower IQ to fluoride above 1.5 mg/L. See the safe level for bottle-fed babies.
Uranium in Water & Pregnancy: The 60x Kidney Gap
Uranium in drinking water strains maternal kidneys in pregnancy. The EPA's 30 ppb legal limit is 60x above the ~0.5 ppb health goal. See the real safe number.
THMs: The 533x Legal-vs-Safe Gap in Tap Water
The EPA lets tap water carry 80 ppb of THMs; EWG's cancer-risk guideline is 0.15 ppb, a 533x gap. Here is what legal versus safe means for a real carcinogen.
Manganese in Well Water & Pregnancy: Safe Levels
Manganese in well water during pregnancy: no federal limit exists, and the pregnancy-safe level is 100 ppb. Children exposed to more scored about 6 IQ points lower.
Lead in Drinking Water During Pregnancy: Safe Level?
Is there a safe level of lead in drinking water during pregnancy? Health agencies say no: lead crosses the placenta, and the EPA's own health goal for lead is zero.
How to Test Water for PFAS: Labs, Costs, Results
Certified labs test tap water for PFAS using EPA Methods 537.1 and 533, typically $250 to $600. Here's how to read results against the 4 ppt federal limit and Hazard Index.
Chlorite in City Water & Infant Red Blood Cells
Chlorite, a chlorine dioxide byproduct, is legal up to 1,000 ppb, 20x the 50 ppb guideline that protects infant red blood cells. See how to filter it out.
Bromate in Water: The 100x Legal-vs-Safe Gap
Ozone disinfection can create bromate, a likely carcinogen. The EPA allows 10 ppb, 100x the 0.1 ppb health guideline. Here's the tradeoff and how to filter it.
Uranium & Aging Kidneys: Why 30 ppb Hits Harder
Uranium in tap water is a kidney toxin. After 65, filtration falls 30–40%, so the EPA's 30 ppb limit is a larger effective dose for an aging kidney. Here's why.
Action Level vs Safety Standard: Lead & Copper Rule
An EPA action level is a treatment trigger, not a safety standard. The lead action level is 15 ppb, but the health goal for lead is zero: no amount is safe.
Cadmium: The 125x Legal-vs-Safe Bone-Loss Gap
The EPA allows cadmium at 5 ppb, but adult bone loss and kidney damage track to a 0.04 ppb health guideline, a verified 125x gap. Here's the risk and the fix.
Tap Water Safety for Cancer Patients on Chemo
Chemotherapy weakens immunity and Cryptosporidium resists chlorine. See what EPA and CDC advise immunocompromised patients, plus the 2,500x arsenic safety gap.
Lead and Kidney Disease: Why There's No Safe Level
The EPA sets its health goal for lead at zero because no level is safe. For kidney patients, whose damaged kidneys can't clear lead, even sub-15-ppb water matters.
Your Water CCR: Why 'Compliant' Isn't 'Safe'
Your annual CCR proves legal compliance, not safety: the EPA arsenic limit sits 2,500x above the 0.004 ppb health goal, and the report can't see lead from your own pipes.
Water Safety Standards After 65: The Renal Clearance Gap
After 65, kidney filtration falls 30-40%, so metals linger longer. EPA allows 10 ppb arsenic; the health guideline is 0.004 ppb, a 2,500x gap that aging bodies feel most.
CT Lead Service Lines: Is Your Home at Risk?
Up to 8,000 lead service lines remain in CT, but federal funding covers only 54% of replacements. How to check your home and protect your family.
Microplastics in CT Water: Risks & Filters
Microplastics found in every CT water source tested. A 2024 NEJM study linked them to 4.5x cardiovascular risk. What CT residents should do.
PFAS in CT Drinking Water: 2026 Guide
39 CT water systems tested positive for PFAS. Covers health risks, contamination maps, legal limits, filters, and steps for private well owners.
Lithium in Tap Water: The Honest, Unsettled Evidence
Some studies link naturally occurring lithium in tap water to lower suicide rates, but it's unproven. There's no federal limit; EWG's health guideline is 10 ppb.
Is Water Softener Salt Bad for Your Health?
At 171 ppm hardness, a CT softener adds 117 mg sodium per liter -- less than a slice of bread. Here's when that matters and when potassium chloride is better.
New Milford PFAS: Kimberly-Clark Paper Mill
April 2024 well tests near Kimberly-Clark's New Milford mill showed PFAS above EPA limits. The facility has operated since the 1890s -- over a century of PFAS.
Chromium-6: The 5,000x Legal vs. Safe Water Gap
The EPA regulates total chromium at 100 ppb but sets no limit for toxic chromium-6, 5,000x above the 0.02 ppb health goal. Here's why legal isn't safe.
Uranium in Eastern CT Wells: The Granite Risk
Eastern CT's granite bedrock dissolves uranium into well water above the EPA's 30 mcg/L limit. A $30-$50 test detects it. Mortgage tests skip it.
Reverse Osmosis: What It Removes in CT Water
RO removes 95%+ of PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and uranium. It wastes 3-4 gallons per gallon produced. Who in CT actually needs one ($300-$800).
Water Filter by Contaminant: The Matching Guide
No single filter removes everything. Match the technology to the contaminant: carbon for chlorine, reverse osmosis for lead and PFAS, UV for microbes. Test first, then filter.
Hard Water Appliance Damage in Connecticut
75% of water heaters fail by year 12 from hard water scale. At 171 ppm in Newtown, CT homeowners lose 24% heater efficiency in the first year of operation.
Bacteria in CT Well Water: What It Means
Total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli are 3 different results with 3 different risk levels. Here's how CT well owners should respond to each one.
Microplastics in Tap Water: No MCL & Best Filters
There is no EPA limit for microplastics in tap water. The Coffin et al. 2022 research screening level is about 90 µg/L. Here's what that means and which filters work.
Chlorine Byproducts in CT Municipal Water
A 2010 meta-analysis linked chlorinated water to a 35% increased bladder cancer risk. CT's surface-water systems produce THMs and HAAs you should filter out.
CKD and Tap Water: Why Legal Lead Isn't Safe
Lead has no safe level, and CKD kidneys clear it slowly. The EPA's 15-ppb lead action level is a treatment trigger, not a safety line for kidney patients.
Killingworth PFAS: Its Own Fire Department
CT DPH has mapped nearly 700 PFAS-contaminated sites statewide. In Killingworth, AFFF foam from the volunteer fire department contaminated the town's own wells.
What Boiling Water Removes (and Doesn't)
Boiling kills bacteria but concentrates lead, PFAS, nitrates, and arsenic. A 2026 Yale study confirmed boiling increases metal levels in your water.
Hard Water Energy Cost: $500/Year in CT
Hard water at 171 ppm costs CT homeowners $960/year in water heater energy alone. A 16% efficiency penalty from scale adds $300-$500/year across appliances.
Nursing Home Water Safety: A Facility Guide
In nursing homes the serious water risk is Legionella in the building's own plumbing, where 1 in 4 healthcare-linked cases are fatal. Whole-house filtration handles metals and DBPs, not Legionella.
Greenwich Has 1,500 Suspected Lead Pipes
Greenwich has 1,500+ suspected lead service lines despite $150K median income. Pre-1986 homes across Fairfield County share the same lead pipe infrastructure.
How AFFF Foam Creates Military-Base PFAS Plumes
Firefighting foam (AFFF) at 700+ U.S. military bases created PFAS groundwater plumes. EPA's PFOA and PFOS limit is 4 ppt, but the health goal is zero.
Your Mortgage Water Test Isn't Enough
CT mortgage water tests skip PFAS, radon, uranium, and lead. A full test costs $400-$700 — less than one mortgage payment — and covers 29 PFAS compounds.
PFAS, Thyroid Problems, and Hair Loss Link
A 2020 meta-analysis of 23 studies found PFAS-thyroid links are 'consistent and robust.' Fairfield County's $150M PFAS problem may be driving thyroid disease.
Chloramine and Dialysis: Why It Must Be Removed
Chloramine is safe to drink at the EPA 4 mg/L limit, but hemodialysis bypasses the gut. AAMI caps dialysis water at 0.1 mg/L total chlorine to prevent hemolytic anemia.
Rotten Egg Smell in CT Well Water: Causes
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in CT wells signals bacterial activity that can harbor coliform. Sulfur bacteria thrive in low-oxygen wells across 4 major CT valleys.
CT Water Quality by Town: A Complete Guide
CT's 169 towns each have different water risks. Newtown hardness hits 171 ppm, Greenwich has 1,500+ lead pipes. See your town's specific concerns.
Wildfires & Tap Water: Benzene From Melted Pipes
After the Tubbs and Camp Fires, utilities found benzene up to 40,000 ppb in tap water — 8,000× the EPA limit of 5 ppb. Here's how wildfires poison pipes.
CT Water Bill PFAS Surcharge Explained
A new PFAS surcharge hit 110,000 CT Water customers in 2026. Aquarion's $150M cleanup is next. Here's what the charge covers and why you're footing the bill.
CT River Valley Well Nitrates: Farm Runoff
One East Windsor family's nitrates jumped from 5.6 to 20 mg/L — 2x the federal limit — after Ida. Farming runoff and CT's permeable soils are why.
Next-Gen PFAS: Measured, Not Regulated
11Cl-PF3OUdS, 6:2 FTS and 4:2 FTS are counted in EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring, yet none has a federal health-based limit. Here's what that gap actually means.
Lead Paint + Lead Water: CT's Double Exposure
60% of CT homes were built before 1980. Lead paint, lead solder, and lead service lines often coexist in the same house — and the exposures are additive.
Do Brita Filters Remove PFAS? NSF P473 Explained
Most standard Brita pitchers aren't certified to remove PFAS. Only NSF/ANSI 53, 58, or P473 units are proven to, and EPA's 2024 legal limit is 4 ppt.
Navy Base PFAS in Groton and New London, CT
Naval Submarine Base New London is an EPA Superfund site. PFAS from firefighting foam has reached private wells within miles of the Groton base.
Arsenic in CT Wells: What 'Safe' Really Means
The EPA's 10 ppb arsenic limit carries a 1-in-300 lifetime cancer risk — far above the typical 1-in-10,000 trigger. Here's what CT well owners need to know.
1,4-Dioxane: Likely Carcinogen, No Federal Limit
1,4-Dioxane is a likely human carcinogen with no federal drinking-water limit. EPA data found it reaching ~90 million Americans; the EWG health guideline is 0.35 ppb.
Lead in CT School Water: A Parent's Guide
Children absorb lead at 4-5x the adult rate. Waterbury schools have suspected lead lines and $53M in federal funds won't replace them for a decade.
How to Read Your Water Quality Report (CCR)
Lead's legal limit is 15 ppb but the health goal is zero. Learn what MCL vs. MCLG means, why 'ND' doesn't mean safe, and what your CCR won't tell you.
Radon in Shower Water: Litchfield County Risk
Litchfield County averages 5.0 pCi/L radon — above the EPA's 4.0 action level. A hot shower raises bathroom radon 10-20x. What well owners must know.
Bridgeport's Lead Pipe Crisis and Income Gap
Bridgeport has CT's highest concentration of suspected lead pipes, clustered in its poorest neighborhoods. $53M in federal funds covers only half the problem.
Fairfield County PFAS: Why 2031 Is Too Late
Aquarion's $150M PFAS cleanup won't finish until 2031. Meanwhile, 19 CT water systems exceed new EPA limits. What Fairfield County residents should do now.
CT Well Water Crisis Mirrors Pyrrhotite
No mandatory testing, no insurance, no clear agency in charge. CT's well water crisis mirrors pyrrhotite — but a $200-$500 test can protect you.
Waterbury's Soft Water Makes Lead Pipes Worse
Waterbury's water sits at just 53 ppm — soft enough to corrode lead pipes faster. Up to 8,000 lead service lines remain active across CT. Here's the risk.
Hard Water and Hair Loss: The Real Science
Fairfield County water hardness tops 170 ppm. A 2016 study proved hard water reduces hair tensile strength. Here's the real science on breakage vs. hair loss.
CT Water Quality and Pregnancy: What to Know
PFAS, lead, and nitrates all cross the placenta. A 2020 study linked prenatal PFAS to reduced birth weight. What CT expecting mothers should know.
Your CT Well Water Test Is Probably Outdated
CT requires just one well test — ever. One East Windsor family saw nitrates jump 400% in 5 years after Hurricane Ida. Here's why your old test means nothing.
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