Is New York Tap Water Safe To Drink

What Is New York Doing

Water contamination is not a new problem in New York.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made battling the various invasive species found in lakes and other water supplies in the state one of his top priorities this year.

And several contamination sites, including Hoosick Falls, has spurred the Legislature to take action.

In 2017, a law requiring the health department to conduct water contamination testing every three years passed as part of the state’s budget.

But two years later, the department has yet to conduct any such tests, Moran said.

The state has also failed to adopt clean drinking water standards despite recommendations from the state’s Clean Drinking Water Council.

And legislation to conduct contamination tests on private wells and establish a clean water database have languished in the state’s Legislature in recent years.

The health department responded that “the recommendations from the Drinking Water Quality Council go above and beyond New Yorks already protective water quality measures and are being reviewed thoroughly and responsibly.

Where Does New York City Tap Water Come From

The water in New York City comes from one of three watersheds. The Delaware and Catskill watersheds are located in upstate New York and provide more than 90% of the water for New York City. The final 10% comes from the Croton watershed.

From the source, the water is clean enough that New York is one of the only municipalities that does not have to filter their water. However, water degradation can occur down the line due to issues like:

• Aging pipes in homes and buildings
• Local water distribution networks using disinfectants like chloramine

These two issues alone can cause increased lead in the water, which can cause numerous health problems. They can also affect the taste of your water or the appearance and color of your water.

We Constantly Monitor The Water Supply For Various Constituents

Although we have not detected crypto- sporidium in the finished water or in our primary or secondary sources, we did detect a low-level presence of 0.11 oocysts/L in our tertiary, drought emergency source on the Susquehanna River. Still, we believe it is important for you to know that crypto- sporidium can enter the source water,

and if not properly treated, may cause serious illness.

Nitrate:

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone an organ transplant, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. Environmental Protection Agency/Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline .

Lead:

Total Coliform:

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Can You Drink New York City Water From The Tap

You can, but if you want to be 100% sure youre drinking water is safe you should add the use of a water filter. This will remove and/or reduce many of the contaminants in water, especially those found in New York Citys tap water. Remember, just because the water is clean at the source doesnt mean its clean by the time it comes out of your faucet as it can get contaminated along the path of delivery.

Our water filter reviews can help you choose the best setup for your specific needs so you can be confident youre drinking clean, safe water. That said, your best bet will be to choose a water filter that specifically addresses the contaminants found in your cities water.

How Is A Water Quality Report Distributed

This depends on the size of the water system. All large water systems mail out the reports, often as an insert in the bill, and very large systems must both mail and post them online. Small systems serving fewer than 10,000 people can have the mailing requirement waived. In this case, however, they must publish the report in at least one local newspaper and make it available to the public upon request.

Water systems also must make a good faith effort to reach renters, workers and other consumers who do not receive water bills. These systems should use a combination of different outreach methods, such as posting the reports online, mailing them and advertising in local newspapers.

More information is at epa.gov/safewater/ccr/index.html

For general queries, you can contact EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline toll-free at 1-800-426-4791.

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What About Other Potential Contaminants In Nyc Tap Water

If the Flint Michigan Water Crisis taught us anything over the last few years, its not only the source of the water that can cause problems, but the infrastructure that brings that water to your home is extremely vulnerable.

Water utilities must adhere to the Safe Drinking Water Act which requires strict monitoring of the water quality. What it doesnt require is testing along the way to your home. Like in Flint, a slight change of the pH of the water can cause adverse reactions in the pipes where the lead is stripped away and ends up in your home.

Are There Pfas In New York Tap Water

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isnt mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base – BETHPAGE NY NWIRP – near New York with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if New York has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

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Who Is In Charge Of Regulating New Yorks Tap Water

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates tap water safety across the nation and publishes annual test results every year.

Day-to-day monitoring, though, falls on the shoulders of New York States Department of Environmental Protection.

But not everyone agrees with the governments water quality standards…

Organizations like The Environmental Working Group recommend much tougher guidelines based on the latest research on water pollutants and human health.

In their opinion, the EPAs contaminant limits leave millions of Americans exposed to negative side effects like hormone imbalances and cancer.

Worst of all, there are no legal limits for more than 160 unregulated contaminants in US tap water .

In other words, legal does not necessarily mean safe.

Are There Pfas In Chester Tap Water

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isnt mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be no military bases near Chester with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Chester has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

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Can You Drink Tap Water In Centerport

Yes, Centerport’s tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Centerport has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however.

According the EPAs ECHO database, from Oct. 31, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2021, Centerport’s water utility, Northport Va Hospital, had 2 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Centerport was resolved on Dec. 31, 2018. This assessment is based on the Northport Va Hospital water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.

While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally wont make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.

The EPA is reviewing if its current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.

The Only Way To Know Is To Test What Comes Out Of Your Faucet

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Is There Lead In New York Water

Based on the EPAs ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the New York water system, New York City System, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.011 mg/L of lead in New York water. This is 73.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from New York contained more lead.

While New York water testing may have found 0.011 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.

No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.

Are There Pfas In Ontario Tap Water

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isnt mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base – Rochester Readiness Center/AASF #2 – near Ontario with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Ontario has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

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Arsenic In New York City Tap Water

Arsenic is a naturally element in rocks and soil as well as a number of industrial and agricultural processes. It is also a byproduct of copper smelting, mining, and coal burning. It can enter the water supply from these surrounding rocks and soil, especially when ground water levels drop significantly.

Similar to lead, arsenic does not regularly show up in New York City tap water, but an environmental change like a drought or a new factory starting operations near the water source can introduce a large amount of arsenic into the city system.

Once again though, Reverse Osmosis effectively eliminates arsenic from your homes tap water.

Common Signs Of Hard Water

Hard water can interfere with cleaning tasks like washing dishes, bathing, or doing laundry. Some common signs of hard water include:

• White scaly spots on your car after washing it.
• Soap scum or film on glass shower doors, shower walls, sinks and faucets, typical ring around the bathtub.
• Reduced water flow due to hard water deposits inside pipes .

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Is My Tap Water Safe To Drink Fact Sheet

Residents of New York City and the Hudson Valley who depend on the Citys unfiltered drinking water supply want to know whether their tap water is safe to drink. Riverkeepers Watershed Team has undertaken a multi-year study in order to answer that question. We examined and compared New York Citys water quality to the drinking water quality of thirteen other large U.S. cities, including four that also rely on unfiltered water supplies.

Key findings of the study:

1. New York Citys testing program is robust and comprehensive. In all four years reviewed, the City tested drinking water for more contaminants than any of the ten largest U.S. cities surveyed.

2. Overall drinking water quality in the cities surveyed is very high.

3. Lead contamination, which is caused by lead soldered plumbing in older buildings, remains a concern at the tap. Over the four-year study period, New York reported the highest average number of samples that exceeded drinking water standards for lead.

5. Some of New York Citys reservoirs exceeded drinking water limits for turbidity on a number of occasions during the study period. Turbidity in drinking water supplies can mask the presence of pathogens and inhibit chlorine disinfection. If turbidity is not adequately mitigated in the near future, storm-driven increases in reservoir turbidity could require expensive filtration of the Citys drinking water.

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So Can I Drink Nyc Tap Water

When deciding whether unfiltered tap water is safe drink, it is important to consider more information than just what is provided by the utility. Simply this is because regulations rarely keep up with scientific research and public health recommendations.

For example, a recent study in a pediatrics research journal showed that exposure to fluoride during pregnancy was associated with childhood IQ declines.

Another example is the addition of chlorine to New York City tap water, a chemical with detrimental effects on human health, including:

• increases risk of cancer

We Strongly Recommend Residents Remove These Contaminants Before Drinking NYC Tap Water

Heather Burton, Waterful.org Lead Technical Manager

The natural reaction to seeing this data on tap water contaminants is to switch to bottled water. Unfortunately, bottled water regulations are even further behind than public water sources! There are less testing requirements, less stringent quality control, and often times unknown sources with even worse contaminants.

The good news is that all of the NYC tap water pollutants are removable by readily available water filters.

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Do You Need A Water Filter In Nyc

The water that is supplied into the New York water pipe system is safe to drink. However, old pipes that run through the streets and pipes in old buildings may leech lead and other heavy metals. Theres also a risk of chlorine by-products when chlorine mixes with organic materials. Finally theres unregulated contaminants such as microplastics that may have negative health effects. Therefore using a water filter in NYC is a good safety measure if you have a family with young children or worry about tap water quality in general.

What is the best water filter for NYC tap water? Heres the good part. Thanks to recent innovation in water filtration all you need is a high quality faucet filter to remove all common contaminants. A great example of this is TAPP 2. With TAPP, you have zero plastic residue. When its time to change the filter only throw away the interior filter and the rest is reused.

Buy TAPP 2 as in the US for $39 right now .

What Contaminants Are In New York City Drinking Water

Despite the fact that New York City water quality is some of the best in the country, it still has some contaminants in it that are above standard health guidelines. All in all, according to EWGs Tap Water Database, there are 14 contaminants that youll need to worry about in New York City drinking water. Six of the contaminants are at a higher level than health guidelines approve of and eight others are below the limit, but still detectable.

Five out of the six contaminants are haloacetic acids. These contaminants can cause cancer. They are formed when disinfectants like chlorine are used to treat drinking water. These include:

• Bromodichloromethane
• Dichloroacetic Acid
• Trichloroacetic Acid

The final of the five is total trihalomethanes, which is comprised of four chemicals. The previously mentioned chloroform and bromodichloromethane and the unmentioned, dibromochloromethane and bromoform.

The sixth contaminant affecting New York City water quality is Chromium. Also a cancer-causing contaminant, Chromium is commonly found in drinking water due to issues like mineral deposits or industrial pollution.

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