Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Syracuse?
Yes, Syracuse's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Syracuse has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Syracuse's water utility, Syracuse City, had 1 health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Syracuse was resolved on Nov. 30, 2021. This assessment is based on the Syracuse City water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Syracuse Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Syracuse tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Syracuse's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Syracuse Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Syracuse City for Syracuse in New York. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Nov. 1, 2021 to Nov. 30, 2021, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From March 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Dec. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Jan. 1, 2017 to Jan. 31, 2017, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Feb. 1, 2016 to Feb. 29, 2016, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Dec. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2015, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Oct. 1, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2015, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
From Dec. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2012, Syracuse had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Is there Lead in Syracuse Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Syracuse water system, Syracuse City, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0151 mg/L of lead in Syracuse water. This is 100.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Syracuse contained more lead.
While Syracuse water testing may have found 0.0151 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Syracuse Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Hancock Field Air National Guard Base - near Syracuse with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Syracuse has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Syracuse SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/01/2021 - 11/30/2021 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 03/01/2019 - 03/31/2019 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 12/01/2018 - 12/31/2018 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 01/01/2017 - 01/31/2017 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 02/01/2016 - 02/29/2016 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 12/01/2015 - 12/31/2015 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 10/01/2015 - 10/31/2015 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
| 12/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (41) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (121) | Surface Water Treatment Rule (0200) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Syracuse Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | Syracuse City Hall 233 East Washington Street SYRACUSE, NY, 13202 |
Existing customers can login to their Syracuse City account to pay their Syracuse water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Syracuse City bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Syracuse water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Syracuse water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Syracuse means you will often need to put the water in your name with Syracuse City. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Syracuse means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Syracuse City. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.62 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Syracuse, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA)
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the New York Department of Health - Bureau of Public Water Supply Protection, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 565582
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 27
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Aluminum
- Barium
- Bromoform
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrite
- Strontium
- Uranium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Syracuse Tap Water
If you are like many people, the only time you have gotten your Syracuse, NY, tap water was when you were a guest in another part of the city. Most likely, you got it either from a friend or from a service station or water tower. The only thing that you may remember about that visit is the taste of the water. You notice many of the other things are the stains on your countertop, the cloudy glassware, and the funny smells that come from the faucet. As you can see, drinking from your tap is not always the best option. There are many advantages to making the switch to purified water for your home.
First of all, if you don’t take care of the water you are drinking and use in your home, you could be putting yourself at risk. Every day, some people fall ill due to drinking unsafe tap water. This includes children who have various types of illnesses that could be prevented by simply treating their water with a good purifier. These days, you can even find water pitchers that can filter the water you drink to be safe and healthy. You don’t have to settle for drinking water that has already been tested and cleaned for bacteria and metals. With the proper purification process, you can make sure that you and your family stay healthy for many years to come.
In addition to all of those health benefits, a purifier can also save you money on your water bill. Many people in the area are experiencing issues with their water bills going up every month. When you start using a purifier system, you will quickly see the results when you qualify for a significant discount on your water bill. That money you save can go right back into the household, giving you more buying power than ever before.
Syracuse Drinking Water
Suppose you are wondering why the quality of your drinking water is so essential to you. In that case, you should consider living in Syracuse, NY. Here in Syracuse, you can enjoy safe and clean drinking water from a natural spring source. Unlike many cities trying to get their drinking water sources cleaned up, the people of Syracuse are taking care of their water supply. They have a long-standing history as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country. The city is committed to protecting the environment and preserving it for future generations.
You can find drinking water in Syracuse that comes straight from the tap without chlorine or chlorine. When you go to your local water treatment facility in downtown Syracuse, you will notice that everything is spotless and clear. There are no funny smells, no offensive smells, and no bad tastes. The water that comes out of your tap will be the purest drinking water you have ever tasted. It’s easy to believe that someone who lives in such a wonderful place could have excellent quality drinking water. Still, the truth is that the city takes great pride in treating the water and ensuring that it is the healthiest water possible.
Another thing about the drinking supply in Syracuse is that it doesn’t use any filtering system. Each water bottle is checked to ensure that it is free of any impurities before being dispensed to the customers. This means that you don’t have to worry about what is in your water. That is why the quality you are getting is so important because if you are not getting the safest water possible, you can put yourself at risk and your family at risk. With all the pollutants in the air and the water that we drink regularly, you want to make sure that your drinking water is good enough for you and your family.
Syracuse Water Quality
There are a large number of cities and towns across the United States that have low-quality tap water. You may be wondering how this can happen in a town of 6 million people. The answer is that most chemical contaminants, such as chlorine and volatile organic chemicals, come from human-made sources, such as industrial waste, drainage fields, storm drains, and septic tanks. There are also naturally occurring contaminants from plant life and soils. When a city has a low quality of drinking water or does not take measures to protect it, the consequences can be catastrophic.
A recent study found that drinking water in Upstate New York was among the most contaminated in the United States. The sample size was small, but the results were alarmingly bad. Syracuse, the largest city in Upstate, had the highest contamination of any of the cities studied. E Coli and nitrate levels in drinking water were both too high to be safe for drinking. If these figures are anything to go by, the quality of drinking water in many US cities is far worse than you would think.
It is easy to assume that it is the best quality when you receive your drinking water. It’s easy to forget, though, that we rely on water to help cleanse our bodies and to cook our food. When you consider the cost of buying and storing bottled water, along with all of the extra work involved in preparing and bottling your own, it becomes clear that investing in clean, safe drinking water is much more than financially viable. Take the scare away from your family today, invest in a quality purifier and find the peace of mind that comes from knowing you and your family are receiving the safest water available.
Syracuse Water
With the city known as being the University of New York’s hometown, it only fits that the area around the campus is considered a part of the city by the New York Water Board. This makes a great deal of sense since the city holds the most significant amount of water in the entire state. Even with the recent droughts, Syracuse still manages to remain one of the top water sports destinations on the planet. This is why the city has become one of the most popular spots for people looking to take their annual summer vacation.
With this in mind, those interested in hosting a backyard barbecue will be happy to know that several colleges in the area provide water sports for alumni and current students. Syracuse University offers several different water parks, which are located on the campus. Also available are tennis courts at Alumni Park and Great lake State Park. The S.U. The campus has even built a giant water wheel that serves as a volleyball court.
In addition to these outdoor locations, there are also several indoor options. One such option is the SUPLine Sports Center, a two-story gym located on the third floor of the S.U. Building. There are several basketball and football fields and tennis courts available to use at the SUPLine. Another indoor facility that is available to college students is the S.U. Club House. This club households weekly meetings that feature entertainment and educational activities for all ages. Many’s in the area even offer tutoring programs to help students who are just starting with their college careers.
Syracuse Primary Water Supply
Do you live in or around Syracuse and want to know if your county’s primary water supply is safe? Well, it probably isn’t, especially since the primary water source of the entire region was shut down several years back. Suppose you’re looking for a safe place to have a party or hold your private party. In that case, it’s probably best to purchase a private county primary water supply than go on living off the grid-like so many people in Syracuse have done over the last ten or twenty years. It’s not worth risking your life and the health of your family to save a few dollars.
So, the question becomes, “Is there another water supply available to me?” The answer is a resounding yes. The county of York has long since worked out many contingency plans for disasters that might occur. One of those contingency plans is the delivery of water to homes and commercial buildings in an emergency. Since the city of Syracuse lies directly in the path of a lake, it shares with Lake Erie. The county was glad to have the lake water at its disposal in case a disaster ever strikes. So if you live in or around Syracuse and need some clean water, you should call up your county office and see what you can do to get a water delivery delivered to you.
The water from the main water supply line of the county of Syracuse will go to all of the houses and businesses in the area of Syracuse. This means that anyone in that general vicinity of the main delivery point can use that water for personal use (drinking, cooking, and other non-essential uses). But the water will only be available during the hours when the City of Syracuse is open. Therefore, if you’re planning on having a party or doing any other type of activity during the non-business hours of the City of Syracuse, you’ll have to settle for the municipal supply until the hours of business are open.