PawTap
by CheckYourTap · water safety for pets
How to confirm drinking-water conditions for a pet
A ZIP-level report summarizes records associated with an area. It cannot identify a pet’s serving utility, measure the water it drinks, or determine whether that water is safe. Confirm the source and use a certified sample from the relevant tap or well; discuss health questions with a veterinarian.
One reviewed private-well pilot found 114 of 178 private-well samples (64%) exceeded at least one EPA MCL or guidance comparator. Those were human regulatory or guidance comparisons—not pet-safe levels, municipal-water findings, or proof that an exceedance caused disease.
Review local records
Enter a Connecticut ZIP code for background records associated with the area. The report is not a property sample or a pet-health assessment.
Check your ZIP codeFor dogs
Breed-specific susceptibility and evidence
These are documented genetic or epidemiologic susceptibilities, not proof that a home’s water caused disease and not breed-specific drinking-water limits. A confirmed tap or well result can be reviewed with diet, genetics, health history, and total exposure by a veterinarian.
Bedlington Terrier — Copper toxicosis (COMMD1 gene deletion)
Bedlington Terriers carry an autosomal-recessive COMMD1 defect that traps copper in the liver. Copper accumulates across food and water, so a confirmed water result belongs in a veterinarian's review of genetics, diet, liver status, and total exposure. The evidence does not validate the former 0.1 ppm breed water target.
Sources: Forman OP, et al. Animal Genetics, 2005; Fieten H & Rothuizen J. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 2018.
Labrador Retriever — Copper-associated hepatopathy (ATP7B variants)
Labradors are disproportionately affected by copper-associated hepatopathy; many commercial diets already run high in copper, so waterborne copper can add to a cumulative load. The evidence supports reviewing all sources with a veterinarian, but it does not validate the former 0.1 ppm breed water target.
Sources: Center SA. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 2021; Fieten H, et al. J Vet Intern Med, 2016.
Scottish Terrier — Urothelial (bladder) carcinoma predisposition
Scottish Terriers have roughly an 18–20× higher genetic risk of bladder cancer than mixed-breed dogs (Knapp 2014). Their strongest documented environmental signal is exposure to lawn herbicides (Glickman 2004). Backer 2008 did not detect an association with increasing chlorinated-water exposure and did not establish a dog- or breed-specific THM threshold. A confirmed water result may support a household health decision, but filtration is not proven canine cancer prevention.
Sources: Knapp DW, et al. Urol Oncol, 2014; Glickman LT, et al. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2004.
Pet drinking-water evidence
Read the source-linked studies, limitations, and the distinction between association, mechanism, and a dose threshold.
Read the evidence reviewWant to confirm conditions at the property?
A certified sample from the relevant tap or well can establish what the pet may actually be drinking. A veterinarian should interpret pet-health questions.
CheckYourTap is an independent water-quality service, not your town or utility. We connect you with a vetted local partner. Your online report is free. Testing and treatment are paid services, and there's no cost to talk.
Health-protective sources such as EWG and OEHHA, veterinary evidence, and population or species applicability are evaluated separately. EPA limits are regulatory context, not the definition of healthy. Human guidance and human screening doses are not relabeled as veterinary thresholds. Historical derivations remain preserved with superseding errata. ZIP-associated records remain background context only. Last updated August 2026.