Lead: Lead is one of the most well-known and concerning contaminants found in drinking water, and it shows up across college towns nationwide.  
Even when water meets federal regulation limits, it may still contain lead. The EPA has stated that no level of lead is considered fully safe and can lead to negative health issues including damage to brain development, the central nervous system, and more. Furthermore, because lead can leach from pipes and other sources after water leaves the municipal systems, even water that contains no lead at its municipal source may contain it by the time it reaches your tap – which is especially relevant for college students living in housing with aging infrastructure. 
Total PFAS: PFAS – often referred to as “forever chemicals” – are a growing concern in drinking water due to their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts.  
More than 176 million Americans get their drinking water from systems that have tested positive for PFAS. Long-term exposure can cause serious health risks, including cancer. If students have exposure to these chemicals over multiple years in their college towns, they can accumulate in the body, increasing the chance of negative health effects. 
By 2029, the EPA will legally enforce the first-ever drinking water standards for PFAS, giving public water systems about three years to begin monitoring for these chemicals and implementing solutions to reduce levels. 

Culligan identified 50 college towns by selecting the largest university in each state based on combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment, using the most recent (2024) data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Enrollment was classified as hybrid, accounting for students with both in-person main campus and partial virtual attendance. Community colleges were excluded from the analysis because they are often a network of campus across the state and are not serviced by a single water system. In the case of schools with multiple campuses, the water system was determined based on the “main campus.” 

Quality scores were developed by grading the testing results from each college town’s water system against federal (EPA) standards and additional public health guidance on toxicology thresholds. This allowed each college town to be graded based on regulatory limits and consider associated health risk due to exposure and the toxicity. It’s important to note that in the case of lead, even if levels are under the EPA limit doesn’t mean it’s “safe” – no amount of lead in drinking water is safe.

Lead and Total PFAS were then weighted equally and combined into a single overall score to provide a simple snapshot of local water quality and presence of these contaminants.

Using publicly available data, each of the 50 identified college towns received an A–F grade for lead and for 5 members of the Total PFAS chemical family, based on the federal regulatory limits (MCLs), regulatory goals (MCLGs), and public health toxicology thresholds, where available.

Lead and Total PFAS were then weighted equally and combined into a single overall score to provide a simple snapshot of local water quality and presence of these contaminants. For lead, Culligan used the “90th percentile” action level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) set in the USEPA final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) regulation, reduced from 15 ppb in previous years. If exceeded, the action level triggers water systems to implement corrosion control measures and to notify the public. It is not a standard for establishing a safe level of lead.

The EPA has publicly acknowledged that no amount of lead in drinking water is considered “safe,” which is why have set a goal of 0. We used a combination of the legal limit as well as the goal to evaluate lead levels in college towns. 

To conduct this analysis, Culligan ZeroWater assessed towns based on the largest university with in-person enrollment in each state. At this time, there is not a single, comprehensive dataset that compares water quality across all U.S. college towns. Our goal in launching this initial analysis is to help spark broader awareness and conversation about water quality for college students, highlighting the need for more accessible data so people can be empowered to make more informed decisions about what they’re drinking. If your college town was not included in the list, there are still steps you can take to better understand your local water, like checking your local water utility’s Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This report provides annual water quality data, via the EPA’s CCR search tool or by calling your local water supplier.