Study Ranks New York’s Public Drinking Water Worst in Nation

An analysis of the states with the most water quality violations has put New York State at #1.

It's a study no one wants to see their state show up in, especially when it's about health and safety.

Unfortunately, New York may have a lot of explaining to do.

A report bu PFAS Water Experts analyzed data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on water quality violations in public water systems (PWS) between 2019 and 2023. 

The nation is home to 148,000 of these systems, which serve areas as small as a school to an entire city municipality and beyond.

The study took a particular incident in flagging violations about issues that could impact one's health.

There are 2 types of health violations, the larger "health-based" violation that flag long-term risks like lead in the water, and "acute health-based" reports that detect immediate danger to one's health such as E.coli.

PFAS Water Experts then compared the number of violations to a state's average population to determine which have the highest percentage of those drinking water believed to be unsafe.

New York earned the top spot after finding 53.3% if the population may be drinking water that earned a health-based violation during that 4-year span.

In total, the state has reported 365,865 acute-health based violations and 10,182,249 health-based violations. These make up 82.2% of all PWS violations in the state.  

Andrew J. Cobos, Attorney-at-Law and Chief Veteran Legal Counsel at PFAS Water Experts, suggests the reason New York has such an issue is that it has one of the "oldest water system infrastructures in the nation."

Cobos also noted that these systems are long overdue for an update, as most of them are "near or past their suggested useful lives," of which he cites New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli for the quote.

WIBX has reached out to Comptroller DiNapoli, who declined to comment on the issue.

While this report is disheartening and would rightfully make anyone feel uneasy, it is possible that New York's ongoing quest to eliminate lead piping from our public drinking systems played a significant role in the state's ranking.

Between 2019 and 2023, the EPA issued 10,182,249 health-based violations to New York State. These reports specifically target long term risks in drinking water, like the presence of lead.

NRDC has previously reported New York is among the states most disproportionately impacted by lead pipes.

Central New York has been adamantly working to remove this type of dangerous piping, most recently in Ilion.

The City of Utica also received a sizeable grant to eliminate lead paint from old structures.

Read More: Central New York Receives over $3 Million for Lead Paint Removal

Although the grant focused on lead paint, its particles can seep into the ground and contaminate everything below the surface.

For those who are concerned by this report, there are ways to ensure the safety of the water you drink.

While boiling water is among the most recommended options, other recommendations include installing a water treatment system or using certain water filters like the Brita Elite to help remove contaminants from tap water.

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