From Farm Runoff to Kitchen Faucet: How Water Pollution Is Fueling America’s Produce Outbreaks

Every bite of fresh lettuce, spinach, or strawberries feels like a step toward better health. But hidden beneath that promise of freshness is one of America’s most persistent—and overlooked—public health threats: contaminated water.

In recent years, a growing number of produce-related food poisoning outbreaks have been traced not to farms’ crops themselves, but to the water that nourishes them. Runoff from livestock operations, polluted irrigation systems, and even rainfall washing through contaminated soil are turning fields into invisible conduits for pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.

The result? Salads, fruits, and vegetables once marketed as “clean and healthy” are now among the leading sources of foodborne illness in the United States.

A Dirty Secret Flowing Bene