EPA Proposes Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals as Drinking Water Contaminants

The move could lead to new limits on these substances for water utilities.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:21pm

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray image showing the internal structure of a water droplet, with faint outlines of microplastic particles and pharmaceutical molecules suspended within the liquid.An X-ray view exposes the unseen contaminants lurking within a seemingly pure drop of drinking water.Boston Today

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time. This step could eventually lead to new limits on those substances for water utilities. The EPA is responding to concerns from Americans about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water, and the move also aims to address priorities of the MAHA movement.

Why it matters

The presence of microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water is a growing concern, as studies have found these substances in people's bodies. Doctors and scientists are still assessing the potential health threats, but there is cause for concern. Regulating these contaminants could help improve the safety of public water supplies.

The details

The EPA's Contaminant Candidate List identifies contaminants in drinking water not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The agency is publishing the draft of the sixth version of the list, which opens a 60-day public comment period. The EPA uses the list to prioritize research, funding and regulatory decision making, but rarely moves pollutants off the list to set limits for how much is allowed in public drinking water.

  • The EPA expects to finalize the list by mid-November 2026.
  • The public comment period on the draft list is 60 days.

The players

Lee Zeldin

EPA Administrator who said the agency is responding to Americans' concerns about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Health Secretary whose MAHA movement has pressured the EPA to further crack down on environmental contaminants.

Erik Olson

A senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council who works on drinking water protection.

Judith Enck

A former EPA regional administrator who now heads up Beyond Plastics and says including microplastics in the list is a good first step.

Philip Landrigan

Director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College, who says the EPA is moving in the right direction but more action is needed to address plastic pollution.

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What they’re saying

“I can't think of an issue that hits closer to home for American families than the safety of their drinking water.”

— Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator

“Including it in the list would be the first step toward eventually regulating microplastics in public water supplies and hopefully this is not the last step.”

— Judith Enck, Former EPA regional administrator, head of Beyond Plastics

“If the United States does not rein in the accelerating growth in plastic production, which leads to plastic pollution, it will make little difference.”

— Philip Landrigan, Director, Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College

What’s next

The EPA will finalize the Contaminant Candidate List by mid-November 2026 after the 60-day public comment period. This could be the first step toward eventually regulating microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water, but the EPA has historically been slow to move contaminants off the list and set new limits.

The takeaway

This proposal highlights growing public concern over the presence of microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water, and the EPA's acknowledgment that these contaminants warrant further study and potential regulation. However, the process of setting new drinking water standards is often lengthy and faces industry opposition, so it remains to be seen if this leads to meaningful action to protect public health.