Is Albany, NY tap water safe?
Supplied by Albany City Water System · serves 98,000 people (29,000 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NY0100189
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data. Some contaminants were detected below the limits.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Near 2027 action level13 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Albany City Water System's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (518) 434-5300. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Sep 2023 to Jun 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
New York has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 10 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFOS 10 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 13 ppb lead (Jul 2025 – Dec 2025). Near 2027 action level
Highest since 2016: 16.1 ppb (Dec 2024).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 7 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 16.1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 11 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 16 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 13.1 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 13.9 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 7.5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 12 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 4.93 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 73.3 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.1 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.057 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Albany
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 12202, 12203, 12204, 12205, 12206, 12207, 12208, 12209, 12210, 12211, 12223, 12226
Nearby utilities
- Latham Water District Colonie · 5 mi
- Troy City Public Water System Troy · 8 mi
- Schenectady City Water Works Schenectady · 11 mi
- North Point Creek Apartments Ltd. Water System Catskill · 32 mi · PFAS above limit
- Greenfield Water District Hyde Park · 59 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Rochester Rochester · 64 mi
Questions
Is Albany tap water safe to drink?
Most of Albany gets its water from Albany City Water System. Albany City Water System has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Albany water have PFAS?
EPA tested Albany City Water System for 29 PFAS between Sep 2023 and Jun 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Albany water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Albany City Water System is 13 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for NY0100189: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NY0100189).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Albany City Water System at (518) 434-5300, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.