What's in Your Tap Water? Contaminants, Filtration, and How to Test It | Johnny Pujol | The Metabolic Link Ep. 91

The Metabolic Link

The Metabolic Link
What's in Your Tap Water? Contaminants, Filtration, and How to Test It | Johnny Pujol | The Metabolic Link Ep. 91
Mar 24, 2026 Episode 91
Dr. Dominic D'Agostino PhD, Dr. Angela Poff PhD, and Victoria Field

You could have elevated levels of contaminants like uranium or arsenic in your drinking water—and not know it. Many of these compounds are colorless, odorless, and undetectable without testing.

Johnny Pujol is a water chemist and the founder of Tap Score, a drinking water testing platform supported by a network of roughly 270 specialized laboratories. His path from electrochemistry research to consumer water testing was driven by a simple realization: the chemistry inside what looks like a clear glass of water is far more complex than most people realize.

In this episode, Dr. Dominic D’Agostino and Johnny break down what’s actually in drinking water, how regulatory standards are set, and where they may lag behind emerging research. They also discuss how chronic exposure to certain contaminants may intersect with metabolic health and long-term disease risk.

Johnny also shares insights from Tap Score’s forthcoming research comparing contaminant profiles in unfiltered tap water, bottled water, and filtered tap water.

Questions Answered in This Episode:

  • Why does the EPA action level for lead differ from the ideal target of zero?
  • Can certain filtration systems introduce unintended issues, like microbial growth, if not properly maintained?
  • How can environmental factors like rainfall impact private well water quality?
  • What's the difference between a "first draw" sample and a "representative" sample, and why does it matter?
  • Is the health risk from showering in contaminated water meaningful compared to drinking it?
  • Why do some water tests cost $600 to $800 while others cost a fraction of that?

Understanding your drinking water starts with recognizing the difference between what’s legally permitted and what may be considered optimal from a health perspective. This conversation explores that gap, and what individuals can do to better assess their own water quality.

Learn more here: https://mytapscore.com/

Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

✅ Troscriptions – Get 10% off your first order with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here.
✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here.
✅ MudWtr – Get up to 43% off + free shipping and a free rechargeable frother with code METABOLICLINK here.


In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!

You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!

Find us on social: 

Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

Episode Artwork What's in Your Tap Water? Contaminants, Filtration, and How to Test It | Johnny Pujol | The Metabolic Link Ep. 91 1:11:17 Episode Artwork Rethinking Cognitive Decline: Stimulus, Exercise, and the Aging Brain | Dr. Tommy Wood, MD, PhD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 90 1:42:43 Episode Artwork Journal Club: Five Papers Pushing the Boundaries of Metabolic Therapy | The Metabolic Link Ep. 89 1:08:38 Episode Artwork Mitochondria, Muscle, & Aging: What Longevity Drugs Miss | Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky | The Metabolic Link Ep. 88 1:31:31 Episode Artwork Trauma, Inflammation, and Neurodegeneration: A New Framework for Alzheimer's | Dr. Caesar Hernandez, MS, PhD | The Metabolic Link Ep. 87 1:18:47 Episode Artwork The Metabolic Roots of Cardiovascular Disease: A Vascular Surgeon's Perspective | Dr. Lily Johnston | The Metabolic Link Ep. 86 1:18:22 Episode Artwork Ultra-Processed Food and Nutrition Policy: What We're Getting Wrong | Dr. David Ludwig | The Metabolic Link Ep. 85 1:21:37 Episode Artwork Metabolic Oncology: From Theory To Clinical Application | Dr. Tomás Duraj | The Metabolic Link Ep. 84 55:15 Episode Artwork Metabolic Health: The Missing Link in Cancer Therapy? | Dr. Christy Kesslering | The Metabolic Link Ep. 83 1:08:04 Episode Artwork Health Optimization Medicine: HBOT, Nervous System Regulation, and Mitochondrial Healing | The Metabolic Link Ep. 82 | Dr. Scott Sherr| 1:12:54 Episode Artwork Metabolic Neurology: Fasting, Ketosis, & the Future of Brain Health | Dr. Matthew Phillips | The Metabolic Link Ep. 81 1:19:22 Episode Artwork Dr. Nina Teicholz | America's Metabolic Decline: The High-Cost of Low Fat | The Metabolic Link Ep 80 1:05:43 Episode Artwork Metabolic Therapy for Pets: The Future of Veterinary Medicine | Dr. Loren Nations | The Metabolic Link Ep. 79 1:09:01 Episode Artwork Can a Ketogenic Diet Improve Sleep Apnea? | Dr. Jonathan Jun | The Metabolic Link Ep. 78. 47:07 Episode Artwork The Metabolic Approach to Treating Food Addiction | Dr. Tro Kalayjian | The Metabolic Link Ep. 77 1:22:48 Episode Artwork Built to Last: Muscle, Longevity, and Training Smarter | Dr. Andy Galpin | The Metabolic Link Ep. 76 1:18:33 Episode Artwork Redefining Recovery: A Metabolic Approach to Plastic Surgery | Cameron Chesnut, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep.75 1:25:45 Episode Artwork Reversing Alzheimer's Disease | Dr. Dale Bredesen | The Metabolic Link Ep.74 1:03:13 Episode Artwork Healing the Brain: A Metabolic Approach to Mental Illness | Erin Bellamy, PhD | The Metabolic Link Ep.73 1:08:52 Episode Artwork Diabetes: Nutrition & Cardiometabolic Health | Andrew Koutnik, PhD | The Metabolic Link Ep.72 1:01:53 Episode Artwork Journal Club: Prenatal Sugar Exposure & a Metabolic Therapy Framework for Brain Cancer | Ep.71 1:03:28 Episode Artwork The Great Obesity Debate: Energy Balance vs Fructose - Dr. Layne Norton & Dr. Richard Johnson | Ep.70 1:42:46 Episode Artwork How Could an Animal-Based Diet Impact Metabolic Health? | Anthony Chaffee, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep.69 1:29:03 Episode Artwork Bipolar Illness & Metabolic Health: My Story | Matt Baszucki | The Metabolic Link Ep.68 38:41 Episode Artwork Hormone Health for Performance and Longevity | Kyle Gillett, MD | The Metabolic Link Ep.67 54:11