Find out

Step 1: Find Out What's in Your Water

Start with your utility's report or a test, not with a filter: the right fix depends entirely on what is actually in your water.

What's in Your Water

Lead in Drinking Water: Sources, Testing and Filters That Work
Where lead in tap water comes from, what the 2024 lead rule changes, how to check your service line and test, and how to pick a filter certified for lead.
Strong evidence
PFAS in Drinking Water: What They Are and What the EPA Rules Say
PFAS are long-lasting chemicals found in some US tap and well water. What the research shows, where EPA limits stand in 2026 and how to check your water.
Moderate evidence

Water Testing

How to Read Your Water Quality Report (CCR), Step by Step
What MCL, MCLG, action level and range mean in your utility's water quality report, when it arrives, what changes in 2027 and what it can't tell you.

Water Softeners

Hard Water: What It Does (and Doesn't Do) and How to Fix It
Hard water is calcium and magnesium, not a health hazard. What it does to pipes, skin and hair, how to test it, and when a softener is worth it.

Well Water

Well Water Testing: What to Test For and How Often
Nobody tests a private well but you. What to test every year, what to add for your area, when to test again, how to sample, and how to read the results.

Next step: See how to test your water →Picked for the "find out" step.