While most of us don’t purposefully consume plastic, we likely still ingest it through our taps. An analysis of globally sourced tap water found plastic fibers in 94% of samples from the United States. Once ingested, these tiny fragments can accumulate in the human body and raise the risk of various health problems. For years, headlines have sounded the alarm about such potential negative outcomes from microplastics in drinking water. Now, the government has reportedly taken an “important first step” to address the issue.
Read on as we break down what microplastics are, what federal regulators are doing about them, the health risks of exposure, and how to filter these pieces of plastic out of your home’s water supply.
Understanding EPA’s New Initiative Against Microplastics in Tap Water
On April 2, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that, for the first time, it had included microplastics and certain pharmaceuticals as “priority contaminant groups” on a new draft of the Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6). The agency uses this preliminary list to prioritize potential contaminants for further study and monitoring, which, in turn, would inform decisions on future regulation, the National Law Review explains. Draft CCL 6 also includes PFAS or “forever chemicals”, disinfection byproducts, 75 individual chemicals, and nine microbes. The EPA says it expects to finalize the list by mid-November.
Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP) initiative. The goal, as explained in the announcement, is to develop tools to detect, measure, and ultimately remove microplastics from the human body.
What This Means for Your Drinking Water
The National Law Review further notes that the inclusion of microplastics is the first step in a traditionally lengthy process toward final drinking water standards. The list, published every five years under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), indicates that a substance is a growing public health concern and warrants increased federal attention. Inclusion on the list does not trigger or guarantee regulation for water systems or manufacturers.
What are Microplastics, Anyway?
Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters (mm) in diameter. That’s about the width of a strand of hair or a red blood cell. A subset, called nanoplastics, is much smaller, measuring less than a micron and invisible to the naked human eye. These minuscule bits of plastic come in all sorts of shapes, forms, and sizes, and originate from various sources.
Common Sources of Microplastics
Microplastics are often categorized into two types based on their origin. Sources of primary microplastics, which are intentionally manufactured to be small for commercial use, include resin pellets, cosmetic beads, glitter, and agricultural seed coatings. Secondary microplastics are those broken off from larger pieces, such as fibers shed from synthetic textiles and clothing, particles from the breakdown of tires on road surfaces, and degradation of plastic items, such as food and beverage containers, fishing gear and vessels, toys, and cigarette filters. The breakdown typically occurs when plastic is exposed to heat or environmental factors, such as waves, wind, or sunlight, for extended periods.
How Do Microplastics Get into Drinking Water?
Drinking water is now one of the major and most alarming entryways for microplastics into the human body. In fact, people in the U.S. could be ingesting 4,000 or more microplastic particles through tap water each year. But how do these tiny plastic particles get into tap water in the first place? A few common pathways include:
- Surface runoff: As rainwater or snowmelt flows through landfills or over surfaces like streets, sidewalks, lawns, and farm fields, it can pick up and carry bits of plastic into rivers, lakes, and reservoirs that supply drinking water to public and private water systems.
- Wastewater effluent: Wastewater from households and industries usually contains microfibers shed from laundry, manufacturing, and other sources. Depending on the technology used, water treatment plants can capture a very high percentage of these microfibers. However, more than 65 percent of what gets removed is concentrated in sewage sludge that may be reused as fertilizer. This sludge may then leach microparticles back into surrounding drinking water sources.
- Combined sewer overflows (CSOs): CSOs are also a major source of microplastics in drinking water. In some older cities, stormwater and sewage often share the same pipes. During heavy rains, these systems can overflow and send mixtures of stormwater and untreated wastewater containing microplastics directly into nearby waterways serving as drinking water sources.
- Degraded plastic waste and atmospheric decomposition: Plastic that has broken down in the environment can also leach into groundwater used for drinking in many communities, especially in rural regions. Additionally, some plastic particles can travel through the air and settle into surface waters, such as lakes, streams, rivers, and reservoirs.
Because municipal water treatment plants don’t remove all microplastics, some amount of these micropollutants may end up in drinking water supplied to customers. Private water sources like wells often have much higher concentrations of microplastic particles due to the possible lack of commercial testing and treatment.
Are Microplastics Harmful to Human Health?
It is still not totally clear how microplastics impact human health, but the findings thus far are quite concerning. Once in the human body, these microscopic particles (and their chemical components) can bypass the gut barrier, enter the bloodstream, and accumulate in vital organs, such as the liver, kidneys, brain, and heart. Studies suggest that this triggers a chronic inflammatory response and exposes cells to oxidative stress, which can disrupt hormone function, affect reproduction, and damage the nervous system. Microplastic particles are also linked to heart disease, liver damage, inflammatory bowel disease, dementia, male infertility, osteoporosis, various cancers, and other morbidities.
How to Test for Microplastics in Tap Water
Since you can’t see, smell, or taste microplastics in tap water, a water test is necessary to confirm their presence. While specialized DIY at-home testing kits are available, the most accurate way to detect microplastics in your tap water is to have the water tested by a certified laboratory. The process typically involves purchasing a mail-to-lab water test kit, collecting a water sample from your faucet, submitting it for analysis, and awaiting the results. From there, you can explore ways to reduce or remove microplastics from your home’s water supply.
Discover 10 common problems a water test can detect in tap water.
Filtering Microplastics from Water: The Best Filter
The best water filters for microplastics are typically those that use advanced membrane filtration. Of which, reverse osmosis (RO) is considered the most effective, with near-complete removal of micro- and nano-sized particles in controlled settings. RO filters work by using pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane with extremely small pores (typically around 0.0001 microns in size). These pores are small enough to allow water molecules through, while blocking all particles larger than its rated pore size.
Learn more about how reverse osmosis filtration works and how to install a reverse osmosis system.
Reduce Microplastics in Your Drinking Water with SpringWell
For crisper, cleaner, safer drinking water, consider our 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis System. Its powerful four-stage filtration reduces microplastics and dozens of other harmful contaminants in your cold water, such as lead, chlorine, fluoride, and pharmaceuticals, while improving the water’s taste, color, and clarity. Highly efficient, this under-sink RO filter is designed so that for every gallon of high-quality purified water it produces, only about a gallon goes to the drain, instead of 3-4 gallons typical of older units. The system also includes a 3.2‑gallon storage tank to provide a steady supply of clean, high‑purity water on demand, directly from your tap. Plus, it is third-party certified to ANSI/NSF 42, 53, 58, 372, and 401, and to NSF Protocol 231, for proven material safety, structural integrity, and contaminant reduction.
Final Thoughts
Although the inclusion of microplastics in the EPA’s draft CCL 6 does not guarantee future regulation, it is deemed an “important first step” in that direction. It also signals that the agency recognizes these substances as public health concerns, which unlocks the potential for eventual drinking water standards under the SDWA. As we await the EPA’s final decision, homeowners can reduce their exposure to microplastics and other drinking water pollutants by having their water tested by a certified laboratory and installing a certified reverse osmosis system for cleaner, fresher, safer tap water.
For more information on our under-sink water filtration solutions, contact SpringWell today at 800-589-5592 or schedule a free water consultation
