— NEW EPA DRINKING-WATER STUDY • FLORIDA CONTEXT
EPA will search drinking water for more than 1,000 potential pollutants: what should Floridians know?
EPA says a new national study will use a broader screening method to look for pharmaceuticals, PFAS and more than 1,000 other potential contaminants. The announcement could influence future research and monitoring, but it contains no test results and does not identify a Florida water system or household.
- EPA announced a research study, not a new drinking-water warning or regulation.
- The method can scan a sample for many known and unknown chemical signals instead of measuring only a short list selected in advance.
- EPA did not name Florida sampling locations, publish Florida findings or recommend that Florida residents change how they use their tap water.
What did EPA announce?
On September 9, EPA announced that agency scientists will use non-targeted analysis to screen drinking-water samples for a broad range of possible pollutants. EPA specifically mentioned pharmaceuticals, PFAS and more than 1,000 potential contaminants.
Traditional targeted testing looks for specific compounds chosen before a sample is analyzed. Non-targeted analysis can scan for many more chemical signals and help researchers decide which substances deserve closer study. A signal is a starting point for investigation; it is not automatically a confirmed contaminant identity, a health-risk conclusion or a regulatory violation.
What does this mean for Florida?
Florida public water systems operate within the federal Safe Drinking Water Act framework, so EPA research can eventually affect what contaminants receive more study, which methods are developed and what the agency considers for future monitoring or regulation. That is the concrete Florida relevance.
The September 9 announcement does not say that Florida utilities were selected for the study. It does not provide a sampling plan, participating-system list, results or a timetable for public findings. Florida Tap Report will not assign the study to a Florida city unless EPA or another authoritative source confirms that connection.
No Florida contamination was reported, no utility violation was announced and no new consumer instruction was issued. Residents should continue to follow notices from the utility that serves their address and from public-health authorities.
How is this different from required utility testing?
A utility's annual consumer confidence report summarizes regulated monitoring and other required information for its public water system. It does not claim that every substance that could possibly occur was tested at every home tap.
EPA's new research is broader and exploratory. It complements two formal Safe Drinking Water Act programs: the Contaminant Candidate List, which helps EPA prioritize unregulated contaminants for research and possible regulation, and the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, which collects national occurrence data using approved methods.
EPA's draft sixth candidate list includes microplastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS and disinfection byproducts as contaminant groups, along with individual chemicals and microbes. EPA separately proposed UCMR 6 monitoring for 30 unregulated contaminants. Neither program means every listed substance is present in a particular Florida water supply.
Does finding a chemical signal mean the water is unsafe?
No. Researchers must identify the substance, confirm it with appropriate methods, determine the concentration, evaluate how often it occurs and assess what the level may mean for health. Detection, hazard, exposure and regulatory compliance are related but different questions.
The same caution applies to home testing. A broad screening result should not be turned into a treatment recommendation without confirmation and a clear understanding of the concentration and the question the homeowner is trying to answer.
What will Florida Tap Report watch next?
The important follow-ups are the study design, sample locations, quality-control methods, confirmed results and any EPA decision that moves a contaminant into formal monitoring, health assessment or rulemaking. A Florida connection becomes reportable when an authoritative source names a Florida system, releases Florida data or changes a requirement that applies to Florida utilities.
The bottom line
EPA is expanding the scientific search beyond the relatively short lists used in conventional targeted tests. That could improve the nation's understanding of what may be present in drinking water and shape future priorities. Today, however, it is a research announcement—not evidence that more than 1,000 pollutants are in Florida tap water.
Understand what “safe,” detected and compliant mean →
Read the latest PFAS regulation and settlement context →
Find your local utility and official water report →
Published September 13, 2026 · No corrections posted.
This page will be updated if EPA identifies study locations, releases confirmed results or announces a material change affecting Florida utilities.