Latest US drinking water quality news, contamination alerts, and PFAS updateshttps://www.waterverge.com/https://www.waterverge.com/news/camp-lejeune-2026-settlement-update/https://www.waterverge.com/news/camp-lejeune-2026-settlement-update/DOJ and Navy have paid $570.7M and offered $794.7M in Camp Lejeune settlements as of April 2026 — but just 2,686 of 407,000 claims have offers.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/connecticut-fairfax-lead-pipe-replacement-june-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/connecticut-fairfax-lead-pipe-replacement-june-2026/Connecticut wins $27.4M to replace up to 8,000 lead service lines as Fairfax Water nears zero ahead of the November 2027 federal deadline.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/dupont-pfas-settlement-action-fund-deadline-june-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/dupont-pfas-settlement-action-fund-deadline-june-2026/Phase 2 water systems must file DuPont Action Fund claims by June 30, 2026 or forfeit recovery from the $1.185B PFAS settlement.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/ewg-176-million-americans-pfas-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/ewg-176-million-americans-pfas-2026/EWG's analysis of EPA data shows 176M people drink PFAS-contaminated tap water across 9,728 sites — as the EPA moves to weaken four PFAS limits.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/june-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup/https://www.waterverge.com/news/june-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup/Main breaks and a pump failure put ~10,000 customers under boil-water advisories across DC, NJ, NC and Michigan in early June 2026.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/arizona-colorado-river-shortage-phoenix-drought-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/arizona-colorado-river-shortage-phoenix-drought-2026/Lake Mead and Lake Powell are near record lows, Arizona's CAP deliveries are cut, and Phoenix-area cities are on Stage 2 drought rules as 2026 talks stall.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/corpus-christi-tx-stage-3-water-emergency-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/corpus-christi-tx-stage-3-water-emergency-2026/Corpus Christi's reservoirs sit near 8.5% full. The city has a plan to cut water use 25% — including its petrochemical giants — if an emergency hits.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-rescission-proposed-rule-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-rescission-proposed-rule-2026/EPA's May 18 proposal would rescind limits on GenX, PFHxS, PFNA and the Hazard Index, and let utilities delay PFOA/PFOS compliance to 2031.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-settlement-claim-deadlines-evaporate-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-settlement-claim-deadlines-evaporate-2026/NRDC warns utilities that miss the June 30 DuPont and July 31 3M PFAS claim deadlines will forfeit their share of $13.6 billion — for good.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/trump-fy2027-epa-budget-srf-90-percent-cut-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/trump-fy2027-epa-budget-srf-90-percent-cut-2026/The proposed FY2027 EPA budget would slash the State Revolving Funds ~90%, gutting the main programs that pay for lead-pipe and PFAS removal nationwide.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/atlanta-downtown-boil-water-advisory-hemphill-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/atlanta-downtown-boil-water-advisory-hemphill-2026/A May 22 power failure at Atlanta's Hemphill plant cut pressure and triggered a boil-water advisory for ~50,000 customers. It was lifted May 23.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/california-pfas-pesticides-surface-water-ewg-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/california-pfas-pesticides-surface-water-ewg-2026/An EWG analysis found the PFAS pesticide bifenthrin in ~half of California surface water and over half of sediment samples — and likely an undercount.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-2-9-billion-lead-pipe-fy2026-allotments/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-2-9-billion-lead-pipe-fy2026-allotments/EPA's FY2026 lead-pipe allotments total $2.875B — Illinois $295.6M, Ohio $201.8M, NY $185.2M — after Congress cut $125M and redirected it to wildfire.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-39-million-pennsylvania-pfas-funding-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-39-million-pennsylvania-pfas-funding-2026/EPA awarded Pennsylvania $39.2M to address PFAS in drinking water on May 25 — days after proposing to repeal four federal PFAS standards.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/tampa-bay-florida-drought-water-supply-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/tampa-bay-florida-drought-water-supply-2026/Tampa Bay declared a Stage 3 supply shortage in its worst drought in 50 years — a ~14-inch rainfall deficit and a reservoir less than half full.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/louisiana-water-systems-failing-grades-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/louisiana-water-systems-failing-grades-2026/Louisiana graded 909 public water systems for 2026 — 67% earned an A, but 58 failed, led by Shreveport and arsenic violations in Rayville.Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-redirects-4-billion-lead-pipe-funding-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-redirects-4-billion-lead-pipe-funding-2026/EPA reallocates $4.1B for lead service line removal as updated state inventories drop the national estimate from 9.2M to 4M pipes.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/milwaukee-lead-pipe-replacement-65000-by-2037/https://www.waterverge.com/news/milwaukee-lead-pipe-replacement-65000-by-2037/Milwaukee plans 5,000 lead service line replacements in 2026, but the $650M program runs past the 2027 federal funding cliff.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/nyc-northeast-drought-may-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/nyc-northeast-drought-may-2026/NYC reservoirs sit at 67.8% versus 83% normal as Massachusetts declares Level 2 drought across four regions after the driest April since 2010.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/oakland-county-mi-water-main-boil-water-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/oakland-county-mi-water-main-boil-water-2026/GLWA lifted the final Oakland County boil water advisories May 16, six days after a 42-inch transmission main ruptured in Auburn Hills.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/pittsburgh-water-rate-increase-25-million-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/pittsburgh-water-rate-increase-25-million-2026/Pennsylvania PUC approved a $25M, 10.2% rate increase for Pittsburgh Water. Typical residential bills rise about $15 per month starting March 8.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/charlotte-nc-mandatory-water-restrictions-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/charlotte-nc-mandatory-water-restrictions-2026/Charlotte Water's Stage 2 mandatory restrictions take effect today, May 15 — first since 2009. Cascade extends across the Catawba-Wateree basin.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/colorado-front-range-drought-2026-denver-erie-aurora/https://www.waterverge.com/news/colorado-front-range-drought-2026-denver-erie-aurora/Colorado snowpack hit record lows. Denver Water's first Stage 1 in 13 years, Erie came hours from running out, Aurora Stage 1. Front Range tightens.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/concord-nc-cabarrus-drought-conservation-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/concord-nc-cabarrus-drought-conservation-2026/Concord and Kannapolis, NC imposed mandatory Level 2 water restrictions May 15, 2026 as Lake Fisher dropped and Cabarrus stayed in extreme drought.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/huntsville-utilities-pfas-lawsuit-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/huntsville-utilities-pfas-lawsuit-2026/Huntsville Utilities sued 3M, DuPont, Chemours, BASF, and Daikin alleging PFAS in the Tennessee River pushed treated water above EPA limits.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/greensboro-guilford-county-extreme-drought-stage-2-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/greensboro-guilford-county-extreme-drought-stage-2-2026/Greensboro Water imposed NCUC Stage 2 mandatory restrictions March 31. Guilford County is in extreme drought with Lake Brandt and Townsend below normal.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/may-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup-nc/https://www.waterverge.com/news/may-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup-nc/May 2026 NC boil water advisories: Chadbourn, Grifton (lifted), and Western NC precautionary. Drought stress is driving more distribution failures.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/nc-2026-historic-drought-statewide-restrictions/https://www.waterverge.com/news/nc-2026-historic-drought-statewide-restrictions/NC DEQ introduces 'exceptional drought' April 30, Catawba Basin hits Stage 2 May 1. A dozen cities now under mandatory water restrictions.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/raleigh-nc-stage-1-water-restrictions-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/raleigh-nc-stage-1-water-restrictions-2026/Raleigh Water moved to Stage 1 mandatory irrigation rules April 20. Falls Lake supplies 600K+ residents in the Triangle as severe drought persists.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/ucmr6-microplastics-monitoring/https://www.waterverge.com/news/ucmr6-microplastics-monitoring/EPA's proposed UCMR 6 could require nationwide microplastics testing in drinking water. Here's what it would cover, who's affected, and when data would arrive.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/cape-fear-genx-nc-pfas-case-study/https://www.waterverge.com/news/cape-fear-genx-nc-pfas-case-study/How Chemours' Fayetteville Works contaminated drinking water for 250,000 North Carolinians — and reshaped the fight over next-gen PFAS.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/data-centers-ai-water-consumption-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/data-centers-ai-water-consumption-2026/Google's data centers used 8.1B gallons in 2024. Loudoun County's grew 250% in four years. Inside the AI water bill — and what it means for your tap.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/dupont-c8-parkersburg-pfoa-case-study/https://www.waterverge.com/news/dupont-c8-parkersburg-pfoa-case-study/The Mid-Ohio Valley PFOA contamination, Rob Bilott's 20-year legal fight, and the billion-dollar settlements that reshaped US PFAS policy.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/hinkley-ca-erin-brockovich-chromium-6-case-study/https://www.waterverge.com/news/hinkley-ca-erin-brockovich-chromium-6-case-study/How PG&E poisoned a California desert town, one file clerk built a landmark lawsuit, and why the plume is still spreading decades later.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/april-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup/https://www.waterverge.com/news/april-2026-boil-water-advisory-roundup/From E. coli in Kannapolis to pump failures in Pennsylvania, April 2026 saw a cluster of boil water advisories across the country. The pattern is the story.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/dc-water-potomac-sewage-spill-lawsuit/https://www.waterverge.com/news/dc-water-potomac-sewage-spill-lawsuit/Federal and state lawsuits target D.C. Water for the January Potomac Interceptor collapse. The utility allegedly knew the 72-inch pipe was corroding for years.Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/kannapolis-nc-e-coli-boil-water-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/kannapolis-nc-e-coli-boil-water-2026/Kannapolis detected E. coli in finished drinking water on April 24, 2026. The boil water notice was lifted at 6 p.m. on April 25 after clean samples confirmed by NCDEQ.Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/ewg-nitrate-tap-water-map-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/ewg-nitrate-tap-water-map-2026/A first-of-its-kind EWG map shows 6,000+ U.S. water systems serve nitrate at or above 3 mg/L — a level linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and birth defects.Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/saltwater-intrusion-blood-pressure-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/saltwater-intrusion-blood-pressure-2026/A new FIU-led meta-analysis ties saltier drinking water to a 26% higher hypertension risk. Coastal communities and saltwater intrusion zones face the biggest impact.Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/nc-helene-215-million-water-funding-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/nc-helene-215-million-water-funding-2026/NC DEQ awarded $215M for 66 water and wastewater projects across 26 counties, with $196M flowing to communities damaged by Hurricane Helene. Cumulative Helene total: $861M.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-settlement-deadlines-utilities-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-settlement-deadlines-utilities-2026/Water utilities have until July 31, 2026 to claim from the $10.3B 3M and $1.185B DuPont/Chemours/Corteva PFAS settlements. NRDC warns billions could go unclaimed.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/state-level-pfas-actions/https://www.waterverge.com/news/state-level-pfas-actions/State-by-state PFAS drinking water MCLs. Which states set limits stricter than federal, which rely on EPA, and what the 2025 rollback changes.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/elm-city-nc-tthm-violations-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/elm-city-nc-tthm-violations-2026/Elm City, NC was fined for a 10th straight quarter of TTHM (disinfection byproduct) violations and $80,715 in wastewater violations. February 2026 inspection brought the first clean report.Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-removal-tech-breakthroughs-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-removal-tech-breakthroughs-2026/Flinders University, FIU, and other research teams published PFAS removal advances in April 2026, including a 98% filter and tech that captures short-chain PFAS.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/maine-pfas-tightening-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/maine-pfas-tightening-2026/Maine adopted federal-aligned 4 ppt PFAS limits in January 2026. Sanford and four other water districts are getting $7.4M, but treatment will cost $25M+.Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-out-initiative-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-out-initiative-2026/EPA's April 14, 2026 PFAS OUT initiative targets ~3,000 drinking water systems with PFOA/PFOS challenges, ahead of the 2031 federal compliance deadline.Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-tsca-reporting-delay-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-pfas-tsca-reporting-delay-2026/EPA paused decisions on dozens of PFAS uses and pushed the long-awaited TSCA Section 8(a)(7) reporting window back from April 2026. What it means for water systems.Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-regulation-rollback/https://www.waterverge.com/news/pfas-regulation-rollback/EPA's May 2025 plan pushes PFOA/PFOS compliance to 2031, aims to rescind MCLs for four other PFAS, and is tied up in litigation. Here's what's at stake.Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/red-hill-hawaii-epa-final-report-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/red-hill-hawaii-epa-final-report-2026/EPA's March 2026 final report confirms no residual fuel contamination in JBPHH and AMR water systems following the 2021 Red Hill release. But Hawaii's response continues.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-ccl6-microplastics-pharmaceuticals-2026/https://www.waterverge.com/news/epa-ccl6-microplastics-pharmaceuticals-2026/EPA's draft CCL 6 flags microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and PFAS as priority drinking water contaminants. Here's what it means and when regulation could follow.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT