NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM vs SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM has 1 open health-based violation and 464 PFAS records. SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY has 0 open health-based violations and 13936 PFAS records.
New York · NY7003493
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
1
Open violations
464
PFAS records
New York · NY5110526
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
13936
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM | SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY |
|---|---|---|
| State | New York | New York |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 8,271,000 | 1,100,000 |
| Open Health Violations | 1 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 10 | 7 |
| PFAS Records | 464 | 13936 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Groundwater |
| City Served | New York | Babylon,Brookhaven,East Hampton,Huntington,Islip,Riverhead,Smithtown,Southampton,Southold |
Contaminants in Violation Records
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM
- Lead
SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY
- Coliform (TCR)
- Cryptosporidium
Key Differences
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM has 1 open health-based violation vs. 0 for SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY.
NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM has 464 PFAS records vs. 13936 for SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM or SUFFOLK COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.