Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Buffalo?
Yes, Buffalo's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Buffalo 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, the city's water provider website, or Buffalo's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Buffalo's water utility, Buffalo Water Authority, had 2 non-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 Buffalo was resolved on March 31, 2020. This assessment is based on the Buffalo Water Authority 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 Buffalo Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Buffalo 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 Buffalo's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Buffalo Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Buffalo Water Authority for Buffalo in New York. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Jan. 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020, Buffalo had 2 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violations with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) which falls into the Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code group, and the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule rule code family for the following contaminant codes: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), TTHM.
From Jan. 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, Buffalo had 28 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violations with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Regular which falls into the Chemicals rule code group, and the Synthetic Organic Chemicals rule code family for the following contaminant codes: Endrin, BHC-GAMMA, Methoxychlor, Toxaphene, Dalapon, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, Simazine, Picloram, Dinoseb, Aldicarb sulfoxide, Aldicarb, Atrazine, LASSO, Heptachlor epoxide, 2,4,5-TP, HEXACHLOROBENZENE, Benzo(a)pyrene, Pentachlorophenol, Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, OXAMYL, Aldicarb sulfone, Heptachlor, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, 2,4-D, Chlordane, Carbofuran.
Is there Lead in Buffalo Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Buffalo water system, Buffalo Water Authority, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0049 mg/L of lead in Buffalo water. This is 32.7% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Buffalo contained more lead.
While Buffalo water testing may have found 0.0049 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 Buffalo 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 - Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station - near Buffalo 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 Buffalo 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.
Buffalo 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
01/01/2020 - 03/31/2020 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (2456) | Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) |
01/01/2020 - 03/31/2020 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring and Reporting (DBP) (27) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) | TTHM (2950) | Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (200) | Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (220) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Endrin (2005) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | BHC-GAMMA (2010) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Methoxychlor (2015) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Toxaphene (2020) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Dalapon (2031) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (2035) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Simazine (2037) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Picloram (2040) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Dinoseb (2041) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Aldicarb sulfoxide (2043) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Aldicarb (2047) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Atrazine (2050) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | LASSO (2051) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Heptachlor epoxide (2067) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | 2,4,5-TP (2110) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | HEXACHLOROBENZENE (2274) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Benzo(a)pyrene (2306) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Pentachlorophenol (2326) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) (2383) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE (2946) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (2039) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | OXAMYL (2036) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Aldicarb sulfone (2044) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Heptachlor (2065) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (2042) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | 2,4-D (2105) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Chlordane (2959) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
01/01/2014 - 06/30/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Regular (03) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) | Carbofuran (2046) | Chemicals (300) | Synthetic Organic Chemicals (320) |
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.
Buffalo Water - Frequently Asked Questions
By Mail: | Buffalo Department of Public Works City Hall, Room 602 BUFFALO, NY, 14202 |
Existing customers can login to their Buffalo Water Authority account to pay their Buffalo water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your Buffalo Water Authority 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 Buffalo 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 Buffalo 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 Buffalo means you will often need to put the water in your name with Buffalo Water Authority. 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 Buffalo means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Buffalo Water Authority. 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
$1.52 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 Buffalo, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
Erie County Water Authority (ECWA)
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: 532221
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 20
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Barium
- Bromoform
- Chlorate
- Chromium (total)
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Strontium
- 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
Buffalo Tap Water
The Buffalo New York Tap Water is one of the best-tasting tap water available anywhere. It’s clean, it has no chlorine, and it tastes great. When you take all of those things into consideration, you can understand why this water is considered to be among the best around.
If you look at the health reports, you will see that this particular water has very few contaminants. For example, cysts cause about 0.2% of the detected cyst cases in New York City, according to the city’s Department of Health. The cysts are common in other parts of the country but are usually not found in drinking water sources unless they are scarce. However, if you were to buy bottled water from a company in another state, the cysts would likely be present.
There are many other benefits of Buffalo New York Tap Water. One of the most notable is that it tastes so much better than additional tap water from other areas. It has a fresh taste that makes it almost indescribably delicious. It’s also been said that people become more attentive to their health after they drink this water. It’s a very refreshing type of beverage, and it helps give you a lot more energy throughout the day. You will probably end up having to purchase a whole house water filter because of the great taste.
Buffalo Drinking Water
If you are visiting Buffalo, New York, or even nearby Buffalo, New York, and are planning to eat at a restaurant, you can be sure that the drinking water provided will not have any contaminants in it. The drinking water that is provided by the Buffalo area is very pure, and it comes from one of the cleanest water sources in the United States. Two treatment plants offer this clean and safe drinking water. The treatment plants work very hard to ensure that all water is as suitable for drinking as possible.
When you choose to eat at one of the Buffalo restaurants, whether you are a native or a visitor to Buffalo, you can be sure that your water will be clean and safe because the treatment plants take great care to ensure that the water is as clean and secure as possible. In addition to the drinking water that the treatment plant provides, you also have the option to have water delivered to your home. This is very convenient because you may not always drive long distances to get fresh water. If you choose this option, you may need to call upon a delivery service to bring water to your house to drink it. The water will be more relaxed than the public treatment facility’s drinking water, but it will be perfectly safe.
If you visit Buffalo, New York, or even drive through it on your way to other areas, you may want to look at one of the outdoor spas located right in the middle of Buffalo. These outdoor spas are great for relaxing after a long day, and they are also perfect if you are looking to find some relief from the heat and humidity that you may be feeling. The hot tubs provided by these spas are ideal for relieving stress, and they are also great for refreshing your body after a hard day at work. Whether you visit Buffalo, New York for business or pleasure, you will be able to find one of the best public drinking water treatment facilities in the entire world.
Buffalo Water Quality
The New York City water system, by way of the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, is responsible for ensuring that all residents have a “safe” water supply. To achieve this goal, they have set up water quality standards based upon scientific research and provided guidelines for each city. These guidelines aim to keep your family healthy by regulating the number of contaminants and chemicals present in the city’s water supply. Even though there is no way to prevent flooding from happening or fire hazards from occurring, having high-quality water for drinking and other personal uses is essential.
For those people living in the Buffalo area, the Buffalo New York water supply is considered by the city to be perfectly safe. If you’re looking for information on why your water may not be up to par with the guidelines set forth by the town, you can call the drinking water department. They will be able to provide you with the information you need to know. However, if you would rather skip the department and find out for yourself what Buffalo New York water testing results may be, you can use one of the many websites online to do the testing for you.
Levels of lead and copper in the water are typically low enough to be safe for everyday use. If you have concerns about how your water may be affecting you or your family, you should have it tested as soon as possible. Knowing what levels are acceptable can help ensure that your family has a clean and safe water supply. While there are no guarantees, at least you’ll be taking precautions to make sure that your water is doing minor damage to your body than you could.
Buffalo Water Utility
Buffalo New York Water Utility is one of the many service providers that provide this western New York section. This large water utility serves about three-quarters of the city. They offer various services, from water to sewer, and they have lines connecting them. This utility also provides bottled water along with its mainline. This is called Buffalo Water Connection or The Buffalo Water Utility. They are one of the significant water providers in the area and serve parts of New York State.
When you subscribe to this water utility, they send you a bill each month with your monthly water usage. You can also buy bottled water and have it delivered to your home. All of these are done through a connection to your home water lines. Once you have signed up for service with Buffalo New York water utility, you will need to ensure that you have a filtration system on your tap as part of your monthly benefit.
To get this filtration system, which can be very affordable, you will need to call the customer service line and discuss your needs. You will find out what kind of connection you have to your home water lines and whether or not you need a separate link. If so, what is the distance between your home and the water utility connection? It may also depend on where you live. It would help if you were sure to check into your options and make sure that you have all of your bases covered when choosing Buffalo New York water utility companies to connect to.
Buffalo Water Treatment
Buffalo New York Water Treatment specializes in providing safe and cost-effective treatment for all water forms from agriculture to the wild. The Buffalo area boasts of more than a hundred treatment centers, many of which are entirely enclosed by the city and its private treatment facilities. Treatment plants can be classified as public or private. Public ones are usually supported by the state and require annual licenses and monitoring by the state Department of Health. Private ones are generally owned by individuals and their families and need no state support.
Of the two types of treatment centers in the Buffalo area, both are involved in creating the city’s water supply. Both are required to submit to an annual review by the state Health Department to ensure that they maintain cleanliness and effectiveness standards. Most of the Buffalo New York Water Treatment facilities use chlorine for disinfection, while the private ones prefer lime for its taste and smell. The main difference between the two is that the public uses larger-scale chlorination. In contrast, the private ones use individual processes for each water sample, ensuring that treated water meets all state regulations.
Suppose you live in the Buffalo area and look for a great water treatment facility where you can get quality water and filtration at affordable rates. In that case, you should consider checking out the New York City Water Processors for your needs. New York City Water Processors is a full-service water treatment facility that offers clean water from every city tap. There are over forty water purification plants, including twenty-four advanced water treatment facilities.
Buffalo Water
What makes them stand out from other brands and the others that have come before? The answer lies in the fact that they are certified to serve New York City and are tested by an independent third party. That means that their tap water quality is top-notch, which makes it something that you won’t have to worry about when you are drinking water in Buffalo, New York. You know that your water is pure and clean.
There is also the fact that the water treatment plants in the area operate on one of the oldest lines in the country, which means that the water that is delivered to residents is one of the cleanest that has ever been tasted. Besides, the water treatment plants use one of the most stringent purification methods that have ever been created for drinking water. This is the highest quality water available anywhere in the United States, and the quality of drinking water is high enough to give you plenty of energy and a clear mind.
When you are looking for a great water source in Buffalo, New York, it doesn’t matter which part of the city you choose to live in. You can find it anywhere, as long as you know where to look. If you decide to look on the Internet, you will find what you are looking for, and most likely, what you are looking for is Buffalo, New York water. Once you have this, you’ll never have to worry again about the quality of your tap water, especially if you live in or near Buffalo.