EPA Takes Action to Ensure Drinking Water Safety
On April 2, 2026, at an event with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a landmark set of actions to safeguard the nation’s drinking water from microplastics, pharmaceuticals, forever chemicals and several of other contaminants. At the heart of the announcement is EPA’s draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List, a critical tool under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that drives research, funding and future decisions on regulating emerging threats in public water systems.
“For too long, Americans have vocalized concerns about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water. That ends today,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “By placing microplastics and pharmaceuticals on the Contaminant Candidate List for the first time ever, EPA is sending a clear message: We will follow the science, we will pursue answers and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards to protect the health of every American family.”
