Is Utica, NY tap water safe?
Supplied by Mohawk Valley Water Authority · serves 126,250 people (38,900 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NY3202411
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 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level9 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 Jan 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Dec 2017. 2 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Dec 2017. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Mohawk Valley Water Authority'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 (315) 792-0319. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2025 to Oct 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
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 9 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 13 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 7.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 12.5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 11.9 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 13 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 6.8 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 7.7 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 14 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 2000 | 13 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.38 ppm (Dec 1992), action level 1,300 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 |
|---|---|
| Sep 2016 – Dec 2017 2 times | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) 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 | 10.5 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 130 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.024 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.38 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.042 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Utica, Westmoreland, Deerfield, Marcy, Whitestown, New Hartford, New York Mills, Whitesboro, Oriskany, Yorkville
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 13321, 13323, 13340, 13354, 13403, 13413, 13417, 13424, 13456, 13469, 13479, 13490, 13492, 13495, 13501, 13502, 13503, 13504, 13505, 13599
Nearby utilities
- City of Syracuse Syracuse · 46 mi
- Onondaga County Water Authority Syracuse · 46 mi
- Sidney Village Water System Sidney · 55 mi · PFAS above limit
- Schenectady City Water Works Schenectady · 69 mi
- Chenango Consolidated Water District #1 Chenango · 70 mi · PFAS above limit
- Latham Water District Colonie · 77 mi
Questions
Is Utica tap water safe to drink?
Most of Utica gets its water from Mohawk Valley Water Authority. Mohawk Valley Water Authority had 2 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 Utica water have PFAS?
EPA tested Mohawk Valley Water Authority for 29 PFAS between Jan 2025 and Oct 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Utica water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Mohawk Valley Water Authority is 9 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (still in progress). 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 NY3202411: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NY3202411).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Mohawk Valley Water Authority at (315) 792-0319, 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.