An untold number of New Yorkers are subjected — sometimes unknowingly — to unsafe PFAS chemicals in their water. The state doesn't require treatment until contamination reaches a certain level.
So-called PFAS "forever chemicals" have been found in the water that millions of New Yorkers rely on for their drinking water source.
This database provides a look at PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, detected in New York drinking water systems in 2022, searchable by county. This data is from the New York State Department of Health.
PFAS are a group of chemicals that are used to make heat- and water-resistant products. They do not break down in the environment and are known to cause health affects in people and animals.
The 2022 data is the latest available. New Yorkers should also have received 2022 data individually through their Annual Water Quality Reports.Â
This data may not match with data that was provided to a resident on their 2022 Annual Water Quality Report, as it does not reflect the level of contaminants found in the water after treatment, or after a contaminated water source was taken out of treatment.
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"Water suppliers actively monitor and manage drinking water to respond to contaminants, which means some sources may be out of service and may not be supplying water to the public," according to the state health department. "People should contact their water supplier or refer to their Annual Water Quality Report for levels of contaminants delivered to their tap water."
Some annual Water Quality Reports have been posted online; others will have to be requested directly from your water supplier.
The current New York standard for two main PFAS chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, in drinking water, is 10 parts per trillion. The proposed U.S. EPA standard for those chemicals is 4 parts per trillion.
Here's what the database shows: