There are disparities between small versus large water systems in America. (Photo by Davide Restivo/Wikimedia)

In the U.S., it’s often a case of the bigger the system, the better the drinking water quality.

Most water systems in the U.S. are small and serve 3,300 people or less. These smaller systems may be numerous, but they only serve 7 percent of the population. The vast majority of Americans get their water from larger systems.

Smaller systems are more likely to violate the Environmental Protection Agency standards because fewer customers means less funding and in turn, they’re less likely to pay for upgrades and maintenance. Check out News21’s findings below and see why bigger is definitely better when it comes to water systems:

To see the full News21 report on “Troubled Water,” go to troubledwater.news21.com on Aug. 14.