States › New York

New York Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 977 cities across New York — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 718 Cities covered: 977 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

New York earns an A for overall water quality

977 communities across 58 counties and 718 water systems. 96.5% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.60 ppb
12.9% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 36.0% of communities; 41 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 99.9% of communities
96.5% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
718
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2.6 ppb
17% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
96.5%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in New York

✓ Cleanest Water
Mansfield
Cattaraugus County
1.4 ppb B
Niles
Cayuga County
0.0 ppb B
Rushford
Allegany County
2.0 ppb B
Centerville
Allegany County
2.0 ppb B
Conquest
Cayuga County
0.0 ppb B
Sennett
Cayuga County
2.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Herkimer
Herkimer County
19.0 ppb F
Brunswick
Rensselaer County
7.6 ppb D
Green Island
Albany County
2.6 ppb D
Champlain
Clinton County
1.4 ppb D
Lisle
Broome County
1.0 ppb D
Syracuse
Onondaga County
12.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

58 of 58
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Oneida County 31 3.0 ppb 0 A
Erie County 31 6.0 ppb 0 A
Cattaraugus County 29 2.2 ppb 0 A
Orange County 29 2.0 ppb 0 A
Westchester County 27 3.1 ppb 0 B
Chautauqua County 27 3.1 ppb 0 A
Dutchess County 25 2.6 ppb 0 A
Steuben County 25 2.0 ppb 0 A
Jefferson County 24 3.7 ppb 0 A
Cayuga County 24 2.0 ppb 0 A

About New York Drinking Water

New York is served by 718 community water systems covering 977 communities across 58 counties. 96.5% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 850 communities, with a median of 2.60 ppb — 17% of the federal action level. A further 126 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 36.0% of communities here, and 41 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New York tap water safe to drink? ▼
96.5% of communities have no open violation on record. 41 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does New York have a lead problem? ▼
24 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 126 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for New York? ▼
Lead results are reported for 99.9% of communities and PFAS for 36.0%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does New York compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.