Can water treatment plants remove microplastics from your drinking water?
Some Concern
What's actually in it
Drinking water treatment plants use filtration, coagulation, and sedimentation to clean water. These processes were designed to remove bacteria, sediment, and dissolved chemicals, not microscopic plastic particles. As microplastic pollution has increased, the question of whether treatment plants can keep up has become urgent.
What the research says
A 2025 study in NPJ Clean Water tested microplastic levels before and after treatment at 10 drinking water facilities and in their distribution systems. The researchers found that treatment reduced microplastic counts, but particles still made it through to the tap. The distribution system (pipes carrying water to your home) added even more particles.
Smaller particles were harder to remove. Nanoplastics, which are the most concerning for health, were the least effectively filtered.
Use a home water filter rated for particles down to 1 micron or smaller. Reverse osmosis systems remove the most microplastics. Even a quality activated carbon filter helps reduce particles.
The research at a glance
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