Inequities Flow Through the Tap: How Language and Race Shape U.S. Drinking Water Safety

Access to clean drinking water is often regarded as a given, yet a recent nationwide study reveals alarming disparities linked to language barriers and racial composition in United States (U.S.) communities. By analyzing over 273,000 drinking water samples collected between 2005 and 2015 from more than 21,000 public water systems (PWS) across the country, researchers assessed the presence of four inorganic contaminants: arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se).