Ninety-two percent of fifty major U.S. college towns contain at least one harmful contaminant in their tap water, according to a new analysis by Culligan with ZeroWater Technology. The findings highlight significant water quality disparities, challenging the assumption that urban infrastructure consistently provides safe drinking water for students.
The study assessed water quality across the nation’s largest university towns, focusing specifically on lead levels and five types of PFAS, often referred to as forever chemicals. Only eight of the fifty towns analyzed met current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lead regulations, while nearly one-third received a grade of C or lower for PFAS concentration.
New York City, frequently cited for high-quality municipal water, ranked among the lowest performers in the study, receiving an F grade for lead concentration. Researchers point to aging urban infrastructure as a primary driver for these results. Julia Reardon, vice president of marketing at Culligan, noted that students often begin making independent health decisions upon entering college but lack the resources to evaluate the safety of their local water supply.
The research identified the five lowest-performing towns as Columbia, South Carolina; Tempe, Arizona; Newark, Delaware; New York City, New York; and New Brunswick, New Jersey. Conversely, the highest-ranked locations included Morgantown, West Virginia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Blacksburg, Virginia; Boise, Idaho; and Durham, New Hampshire. The rankings were developed using public water system data and 2024 university enrollment figures, applying a weighted scoring system based on federal regulatory limits and toxicology thresholds.
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