All of us need clean water to drink. We can go for weeks without food, but only days without water. Contaminated water can be a threat to anyone's health, but especially to young children.

About half of our nation's drinking water comes from ground water. Most is supplied through community water systems. But many families rely on private, household wells and use ground water as their source of fresh water.

Drinking water protection programs at the state and national levels play a critical role in ensuring high quality drinking water and in protecting the public's health.

Community Water About 90% of people in the United States get their water from a community water system. These public water systems are required to provide drinking water that meets standards established under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA establishes drinking water standards for individual contaminants and groups of contaminants. More community water data and information.		Well Water About 10% of Americans have their own sources of drinking water, such as household wells, cisterns, and springs. These water supplies are not regulated by the EPA. So, unlike public community water systems serving many people, they do not have experts regularly checking the water's source and its quality before it is sent through pipes to the community. More well water data and information.