Moving to a New City? Check the Water Quality First

Water quality varies dramatically city to city. Before you unpack, here is how to check your new city's tap water for PFAS, lead, and hard water.

Most people moving to a new city spend hours researching neighborhoods, schools, commute times, and cost of living. Almost nobody checks the tap water -- and water quality varies more dramatically across US cities than most people realize.

The difference between moving to Portland, Oregon (some of the cleanest tap water in the US) and Fayetteville, North Carolina (ground zero for PFAS contamination from the Chemours plant) is enormous. Your skin, your kids, and your long-term health will be affected either way.

Step 1: Check the EPA data for your new city

Start at watercheckup.com and search your new city. You will see the EPA water quality grade, contaminants detected, known issues (PFAS, lead, hard water, disinfection byproducts), and a filter recommendation specific to that city's water profile. Takes 60 seconds and tells you exactly what you are moving into.

Step 2: Know the red flags by region

Southwest (Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson, Albuquerque)

Extremely hard water is the norm -- TDS above 500-700 mg/L. Your skin will feel different, your hair will change, your appliances will scale up faster. Arsenic from natural geology is elevated. PFAS from military bases is present in many systems. An RO system is essentially standard practice here.

North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Durham)

North Carolina has the most serious PFAS contamination of any state due to the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. GenX and dozens of other PFAS compounds have been found in water systems throughout the Cape Fear River basin. If you are moving anywhere in the Piedmont or Coastal Plain, RO filtration is not optional -- it is necessary.

Midwest (Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois)

Agricultural nitrate contamination is severe and pervasive. Atrazine (a pesticide herbicide) regularly appears above health guidelines. Des Moines Water Works literally sued upstream counties over nitrate pollution. If you are moving to a Midwest city, check nitrate levels specifically and consider RO.

Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania (Detroit, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Newark)

Industrial legacy PFAS contamination from 3M, military bases, and steel production is significant. Lead service lines in older cities are widespread. The Flint crisis put the region on alert -- but Detroit, Toledo, Pittsburgh, and Newark all have their own documented water issues. Test for lead in any pre-1986 home.

Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Spokane)

Source water quality is excellent -- but the water is naturally soft and slightly acidic, which makes it corrosive to older pipes. Lead leaching from in-building plumbing is the main risk, not the source water itself. If your new home was built before 1986, get a lead test before assuming you are fine.

Step 3: What to buy for the first 30 days

While you are getting settled and figuring out your water situation, a countertop RO system like the Waterdrop D4 is the lowest-friction option -- no installation, sits on the counter, plugs in like an appliance. Once you know what you are dealing with, you can decide whether to upgrade to an under-sink system.

If you are moving somewhere with hard water (Southwest, Texas, Nevada), a shower filter with KDF media will noticeably help your skin and hair within a week -- a $30-50 improvement you will feel immediately.

Enter your ZIP code to see live EPA data, PFAS results, and violation history for your specific water system.