Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick water quality
Hempstead, NY · serves 135,000 people (46,440 connections) · Groundwater · Private · EPA ID NY2902840
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 139 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level0 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
- Resolved3 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jul 2024.
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick'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 (516) 632-2218. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 8 entry points tested Mar 2023 to Jul 2025. "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
Detected in 1 of 13 samples. Highest result 139 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jul 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2.2 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 1.5 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 3.05 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jul 2023 – Jul 2024 3 times | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) Resolved |
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 | 37 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Cobalt | 8.5 ppb | 70 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.051 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 210 ppb | 210 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 1.35 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.28 ppb | – |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 11566, 11710, 11756, 11758, 11783, 11793
Nearby utilities
- Town of Hempstead Water Department Hempstead · same area
- Village of Hempstead Hempstead · same area
- Water Authority of Western Nassau Hempstead · same area · PFAS above limit
- Liberty Utilities New York – Lynbrook Lynbrook · 4 mi
- Village of Garden City Garden City · 7 mi · PFAS above limit
- Garden City Park Water District New Hyde Park · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick water safe to drink?
Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick had 3 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick water have PFAS?
EPA tested Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick for 29 PFAS between Mar 2023 and Jul 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick is 0 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 NY2902840: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NY2902840).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Liberty Utilities New York – Merrick at (516) 632-2218, 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.