This City Has the Worst Water in the U.S., New Survey Finds

Water quality is an issue across the U.S.—but it's the worst in this city. (And no, it's not Flint.)

Despite the U.S. having passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974, water quality varies in different parts of the country. Under the act, drinking water standards are to be followed in order to maintain and protect the health of Americans, but not all cities' water is created equal. If you're wondering how the H20 near you compares, LawnStarter ranked the biggest U.S. cities on their water quality using seven metrics to decipher water quality across the country.

The survey—led by Mike Daniels, PhD—looked at satisfaction with water quality, water quality violations, the share of homes lacking basic plumbing, the number of sewage disposal breakdowns, and natural hazards. The survey ranked the cities from best to worst in four areas—overall score, consumer satisfaction rank, compliance rank, and infrastructure vulnerability rank. Read on to find out which city in the country has the worst water, and for more water that might not be safe, check out If You Have This Bottled Water at Home, Stop Drinking It Now, FDA Says.

Read the original article on Best Life.

20
Fresno, California

stellamc / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 153 of 200

Compliance rank: 141 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 195 of 200

Overall score: 43.92

19
Sunrise Manor, Nevada

dusk view, frenchman mountain, city view henderson view pass, nevada
Kit Leong / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 165 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 93 of 200

Overall score: 43.78

18
Enterprise, Nevada

city view enterprise, las vegas, nevada, mountains in background
Kit Leong / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 165 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 93 of 200

Overall score: 43.78

17
Bridgeport, Connecticut

fairfield ave, a street in downtown bridgeport, connecticut
Wendell Guy / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 155 of 200

Compliance rank: 188 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 131 of 200

Overall score: 43.4

16
Joliet, Illinois

white building, joliet, illinois
Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 163 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 106 of 200

Overall score: 42.58

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15
Yonkers, New York

waterfront view, buildings, yonkers, new york
Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 90 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 120 of 200

Overall score: 42.45

14
Orange, California

fountain, traffic circle, orange, california, orange plaza
David Tonelson / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 85 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 126 of 200

Overall score: 42.35

13
Fullerton, California

bus driving down street, fullerton, california, street lined with trees
Felipe Sanchez / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 90 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 126 of 200

Overall score: 42.35

12
Patterson, New Jersey

view of paterson, new jersey, near garret mountain reservation
quiggyt4 / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 78 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 144 of 200

Overall score: 41.74

And for the areas of the country that are lacking in another way, This Is the Most Out-Of-Shape City in the U.S.

11
 Pomona, California

Aerial afternoon view of the historic religious center of downtown Pomona, California, USA.
MattGush / iStock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 28 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 147 of 200

Overall score: 41.69

10
Lancaster, California

historic tavern building, mojave desert town, lancaster, california
Felipe Sanchez / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 71 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 147 of 200

Overall score: 41.68

9
Midland, Texas

downtown midland, texas, sunny day, pond, wadley barron park
Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 144 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 146 of 200

Overall score: 41.55

8
Torrance, California

blue and gold street sign, torrance, california
Albert Campbell / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 153 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 147 of 200

Overall score: 41.39

7
Laredo, Texas

plaza theater, laredo, texas, street view building
Barna Tanko / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 151 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 156 of 200

Overall score: 41.36

6
Grand Prairie, Texas

grand prairie, texas, black-and-white map
Alexander Lukatskiy / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 61 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 165 of 200

Overall score: 41.1

5
Metairie, Louisiana

cemetary house, gravestone, metairie, louisiana, grass, statue
Suzanne C. Grim / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 80 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 166 of 200

Overall score: 41.08

4
Cape Coral, Florida

boat in water, cape coral, florida, canal, palm trees
mginley / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 84 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 169 of 200

Overall score: 40.86

3
Oceanside, California

walkway pier, palm trees, oceanside, california
Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 50 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 182 of 200

Overall score: 39.79

2
Moreno Valley, California

mountain view, moreno valley mountain, california
Juan2352 / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 50 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 188 of 200

Overall score: 39.54

1
Garden Grove, California

christ cathedral church, garden grove, california
David Tonelson / Shutterstock

Consumer satisfaction rank: 157 of 200

Compliance rank: 20 of 200

Infrastructure vulnerability rank: 196 of 200

Overall score: 37.9

To see the full list of 200 U.S. cities' water quality from LawnStarter, including the one with the best, click here.

And for another ranking of parts of the U.S. that are risky in another way, check out This Is the Most Dangerous Small Town in America, According to Data.

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