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Comprehensive Consumer Confidence Report for New York, New York
Meets EPA standards — no recorded violations
View detailed city report →Contaminant levels compared to EPA maximum limits
About 54% of the EPA limit. A disinfection byproduct formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter.
About 37% of the EPA limit. Another chlorination byproduct, well within the safe range.
90th-percentile result, below the action level. Lead is not in NYC's source water — it can leach from service lines and plumbing in older buildings, so DEP adds orthophosphate to reduce it.
NYC's protected Catskill/Delaware supply is consistently clear, which is why the EPA allows it to operate largely unfiltered.
NYC's water comes from protected upstate watersheds. Because that source water is so clean, the EPA grants the Catskill/Delaware system a Filtration Avoidance Determination — it is disinfected but not filtered, one of only a handful of major US systems allowed to do so.
The DEP invests heavily in watershed protection (land acquisition, farm and septic programs) upstate to keep the source pristine. The smaller Croton supply is filtered before distribution.
The Catskill/Delaware supply passes through the Eastview UV facility in Westchester — the world's largest — which inactivates pathogens like Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
Chlorine is added to kill bacteria and viruses and to maintain a disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system.
Food-grade orthophosphate is added to coat pipe interiors and reduce lead and copper leaching from service lines and household plumbing.
Fluoride is added for dental health, and sodium hydroxide adjusts pH to make the water less corrosive to pipes.
No Recorded Violations
NYC DEP has maintained compliance with federal and New York State drinking water standards.
Call 311 (or DEP Customer Service at (718) 595-3535) to request a printed copy of the annual water quality report or to report a water concern.
NYC DEP offers residents a free residential lead-in-water test kit — request one online at nyc.gov/dep or by calling 311. This is the most reliable way to check for lead from your building's plumbing.
Yes. New York tap water meets all EPA and New York State standards and is widely regarded as among the best big-city tap water in the country. The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tests it hundreds of thousands of times a year. The main residential concern is lead leaching from plumbing in older buildings — not the source water itself.
About 90% comes from the Catskill and Delaware watersheds — protected reservoirs roughly 125 miles north of the city — and about 10% from the Croton watershed. The system delivers roughly 1 billion gallons a day, moved almost entirely by gravity, and is one of the largest surface water supplies in the world.
NYC's Catskill/Delaware source water is so clean that the EPA grants it a Filtration Avoidance Determination — the water is disinfected with UV light and chlorine but does not require filtration. The DEP maintains this status through extensive watershed protection upstate. The smaller Croton supply is filtered before distribution.
The tap water itself is excellent, so a filter is optional. The one situation where it matters is lead: if you live in a building built before 1986, lead can leach from old plumbing or service lines. In that case use a filter certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead. A popular no-install option is the ZeroWater pitcher (NSF 53 lead reduction); for near-total removal, an APEC reverse-osmosis system installs under the sink. See our full water filter guide for whole-house options. You can also request a free lead test kit from NYC DEP.
NYC DEP publishes its annual Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report online at nyc.gov/dep. You can also call 311 (or (718) 595-3535) to request a printed copy.