Is New York City tap water safe to drink?

Yes with good quality

New York City's tap water meets all EPA standards and scores well on our analysis. It is generally safe to drink though filtration can improve taste and provide extra precaution.

85/100
Purity Score
1
Issues Found
1.6 GPG
Hardness
Not detected
PFAS

1 Issue Detected in New York City

Arsenic Approaching Limit (0.2 mg/L)

EPA limit is 0.010 mg/L.

Arsenic info for New York City
New York

100,011,000,210,003 · Catskill Delaware and Croton watersheds

New York City, NY Water Quality Report

Low Risk Updated March 2026 8.4M residents
See Best Filters for New York City
85
Purity Score

Contaminant Levels

PFAS
ND
Lead
2 ppb
Nitrate
0.5 mg/L
Arsenic
0.2 mg/L
Hardness
1.6 gpg

Health Insights

  • 1
    New York City's water meets current EPA standards. Filtration can improve taste and provide extra safety.

Score

85 /100
Excellent
"Good" threshold (70)

New York City tap water is sourced from Catskill Delaware and Croton watersheds and treated by NYC Dept of Environmental Protection. Overall purity score: 85/100 (Excellent). Updated for 2026.

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New York City Water FAQ

Is New York City NY tap water safe to drink in 2026?
New York City tap water meets EPA federal drinking water standards and scores 85/100 (Excellent) on PurityMap for 2026. For most healthy adults the water is considered safe but point-of-use filtration adds an important layer of protection.
Does New York City NY use chlorine or chloramine for disinfection?
New York City uses chloramine as the primary disinfectant with a residual level of 0.9 ppm. Chloramine is harder to remove than free chlorine and requires a catalytic carbon or reverse osmosis filter. Standard Brita-style pitchers will NOT remove chloramine.
How hard is New York City NY water and what is the TDS level?
New York City water hardness is 1.6 grains per gallon (soft) with a TDS of 38 ppm (excellent). This level is unlikely to cause significant scale buildup in household plumbing.
Has PFAS been found in New York City NY drinking water?
Based on available EPA UCMR5 monitoring data as of 2026 PFAS have not been detected above EPA advisory levels in New York City drinking water.

Nearby Reports

BuffaloNew York — 77/100TroyNew York — 82/100SchenectadyNew York — 82/100RochesterNew York — 82/100YonkersNew York — 82/100AlbanyNew York — 82/100

All New York cities

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Data Sources

  • EPA SDWIS
  • EWG Tap Water Database
  • NYC Dept of Environmental Protection CCR
  • USGS monitoring data

PurityMap compiles public data. Updated March 2026.

© 2026 PurityMap. For informational purposes only.

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