Schenectady City Water Works water quality
Schenectady, NY · serves 62,000 people (19,000 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID NY4600070
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 2 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level3 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Schenectady City Water Works'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. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2025 to Sep 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 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4 ppb (Dec 2024).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 3.1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 1.5 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 10.3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 15 ppb |
Copper 90th percentile: 1.4 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
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 | 4.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.34 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.12 ppb | – |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 12301, 12303, 12304, 12305, 12306, 12307, 12308, 12309
Nearby utilities
- Latham Water District Colonie · 8 mi
- Albany City Water System Albany · 11 mi
- Troy City Public Water System Troy · 14 mi
- North Point Creek Apartments Ltd. Water System Catskill · 41 mi · PFAS above limit
- Greenfield Water District Hyde Park · 68 mi · PFAS above limit
- Mohawk Valley Water Authority Utica · 69 mi
Questions
Is Schenectady City Water Works water safe to drink?
Schenectady City Water Works 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 Schenectady City Water Works water have PFAS?
EPA tested Schenectady City Water Works for 29 PFAS between Jan 2025 and Sep 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Schenectady City Water Works water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Schenectady City Water Works is 3 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 NY4600070: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NY4600070).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Schenectady City Water Works, 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.