Water utilities can now use cheaper, faster tests for drinking water contaminants

US environmental regulators just approved two new ways to test drinking water for contaminants. This means water systems can use more flexible and potentially cheaper methods to ensure water safety.

For decades, water utilities had to use specific, often expensive, methods to test for contaminants. This change means they can adopt newer, more efficient technologies as they become available. It should lower monitoring costs for public water systems and laboratories, which could translate to lower bills for consumers or more resources for other infrastructure needs.