Is NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM's water safe to drink?
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM has a health-based violation on record, but none in the last five years - an older issue, not necessarily a current one. Population served: 8,271,000, over 727,058 connections.
How this compares nationally
Out of 12,903 systems in this dataset, NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM ranks 1,956th by violation burden (85th percentile) - 24 violations total, 10 health-baseds.
Against the NY average
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM's 10 health-based violations sit above the NY average of 4.1, across 443 systems statewide. The filter guide explains what a violation like this actually calls for.
Most recent violation on record
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM's most recent violation on record is dated 2017-01-02, with the most recent health-based one dated 2017-01-02. Last reported to EPA: 06/25/2026.
The concern categories on record
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM's flagged contaminants and rule violations, grouped by what they actually mean for a filter choice rather than left as EPA's raw code list:
- Microbial contamination / treatment technique - flagged from: Coliform (TCR); Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule; Surface Water Treatment Rule
The most severe category on record is microbial contamination / treatment technique, which points toward a microbial-class filter if you want to address it directly.
What NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM's record does not cover
This is what NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM reported to its state primacy agency and EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act - real regulatory record, not a lab test of your specific tap. This record - 10 health-based violations on file for NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM - stops at the meter and cannot see household plumbing on the other side of it. The guide to what this data misses covers that gap.