Jefferson County Water Quality: 2 Cities Ranked by the Records
Jefferson County, New York: 2 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest7.3 ng/L
- WATERTOWN CITY7.3 ng/LSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
- FORT DRUMNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 2 systems10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5 ng/L
- FORT DRUM5 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITY3.9 ng/LSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest6.3 µg/L
- WATERTOWN CITY6.3 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- FORT DRUM0.4 µg/LMonitoring period: 2022–2024
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest13 ng/L
- FORT DRUM13 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest26 ng/L
- FORT DRUM26 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITYNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8 ng/L
- FORT DRUM8 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITYNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest4 ng/L
- FORT DRUM4 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest25 ng/L
- FORT DRUM25 ng/LSample date: 2024-03-20 to 2024-11-05
- WATERTOWN CITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-08-12 to 2025-05-06
23 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 2 systems: FORT DRUM, WATERTOWN CITY
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- Lithium
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 2 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in New YorkLargest water systems
Frequently asked
How does Jefferson County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 2 cities in Jefferson County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Fort Drum's main water system: FORT DRUM · PWSID NY2212214 · Purity Score 90 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Jefferson County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
1 of 2 Jefferson County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Watertown (PFOA 7.3 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 2.
Is there lead in Jefferson County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 2 Jefferson County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
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