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Is Albany Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: 7:47 pm, August 6, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Albany?

Yes, Albany's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Albany 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 Albany's local Twitter account.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Albany's water utility, Albany City, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the Albany 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 Albany Tap Water

The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Albany 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 Albany's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.

Albany Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Albany City for Albany in New York. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

Is there Lead in Albany Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Albany water system, Albany City, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.01313 mg/L of lead in Albany water. This is 87.5% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Albany contained more lead.

While Albany water testing may have found 0.01313 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 Albany 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 - Watervliet Arsenal - near Albany 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 Albany 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.

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

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
show details
Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
show details
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.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
show details
Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
show details
Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
show details

For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Albany Water - Frequently Asked Questions

WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM?
In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Atmospheric sources of contamination enter our water sources through rain and snowfall. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. State Health Department and FDA regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Our water source is the Alcove Reservoir, which is surface water and is located on the Hannacroix Creek in the Town of Coeymans. This reservoir has a capacity of 13.5 billion gallons, an average depth of 25 feet and a maximum depth of 75 feet. The Basic Creek Reservoir, in the town of Westerlo, is a secondary source that may be used to augment flow into the Alcove Reservoir to maintain the Alcove elevation. During 2020, our system did not experience any restriction of your water usage due to lack of source water or any other reason. The water source receives treatment including pre-oxidation, disinfection, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and pH and alkalinity adjustment for corrosion control at the Feura Bush Filtration Facility. Chlorine is added as a residual disinfectant to maintain microbiological quality throughout the distribution system. Ultraviolet light disinfection is a supplemental disinfectant used at the Loudonville Reservoir.
ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN OUR DRINKING WATER?
As State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include: total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, metals including lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, synthetic organic compounds and radioactive materials like Uranium and Radium. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently, though most of our data represented here is from 2020 analysis. It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, should be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or the Albany County Health Department at 518-447-4620.
WHAT DOES THIS INFORMATION MEAN?
As you can see by the table, our system had no violations in the reporting year 2020. We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, these contaminants were detected below New York State requirements. The City of Albany Water Department has implemented a program to minimize lead levels in your drinking water. This program includes: 1) the adjustment of pH and alkalinity levels to minimize corrosion; 2) the replacement of lead service lines as distribution lines are replaced; and, 3) public education. The water department conducted lead and copper testing on select 55 residences in 2018. All residences for 2018 testing were picked after a survey to include houses from all wards in the City of Albany and were built before 1939 and were confirmed with Lead present at their meters. The 90th percentile of the samples collected was 13.9µg /L. The action level (15g/L) for lead was exceeded at four (4) of the 55 sites tested. The highest level detected was 25.7 µg/L at only one location. The City of Albany has a NYSDOH grant for lead service line replacement. The Albany Water Board is undertaking lead service line replacement as part of its Capital Improvements Program when there is construction of new water mains and sewers. The Albany Water Board is developing a program for full service line replacement, including the portion on private property. Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning disabilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. The City of Albany Water Department is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control a variety of materials used in plumbing components. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested. Also, you may flush your cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water for cooking or drinking. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-regulations We are required to continually monitor your drinking water daily, monthly, quarterly, annually or after multiple years for different contaminants and report to Local, State and Federal authorities. During 2020, our system was in compliance with applicable operating, monitoring and reporting requirements for drinking water regulations. In 2020 NYS adopted new Maximum Contaminant levels (MCLs) for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and 1,4-Dioxane. Initially we are required to monitor your drinking water for these contaminants on quarterly basis. Results of first two quarters monitoring are below detection limits for all three contaminants and are an indicator that your drinking water meets all health standards.
IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS?
We are required to continually monitor your drinking water daily, monthly, quarterly, annually or after multiple years for different contaminants and report to Local, State and Federal authorities. During 2020, our system was in compliance with applicable operating, monitoring and reporting requirements for drinking water regulations. In 2020 NYS adopted new Maximum Contaminant levels (MCLs) for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and 1,4-Dioxane. Initially we are required to monitor your drinking water for these contaminants on quarterly basis. Results of first two quarters monitoring are below detection limits for all three contaminants and are an indicator that your drinking water meets all health standards.
DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS?
Although our drinking water met or exceeded State and Federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water: In 2020 the Albany Water Board had bathymetric surveys performed of the Alcove and Basic Creek Reservoirs, and a new Safe Yield Study was performed. The study indicated that the safe yield is 30.5 million gallons per day. At the Feura Bush Filtration plant work construction was completed at the lagoons, Lagoon #2 was modified due to a slope failure adjacent to the lagoon on the Onesquethaw Creek. Work was begun on the rehabilitation of the Sedimentation Basin Building. Design was completed for the Feura Bush Electrical Upgrade project, which will be constructed in 2021. Design was completed for the Sodium Permanganate System at the Alcove Reservoir, which will be constructed in 2021. These projects have a total cost of $9.7 million, with $3 million in grants from New York State. The Albany Water Board completed construction of the Upper Washington Avenue Pressure Zone, which includes a 1 million gallon tank at the New York State Harriman Office Campus and a booster pump station on Roseland Street near Colvin Avenue. This project improve pressure in an area between Colvin Avenue and Fuller Road. This work was coordinated with infrastructure improvements being undertaken by the State of New York at the Harriman Campus. The cost of this project was $5.5 million, with $2.27 million in grant funding from New York State. New water mains were constructed on Clara Barton Drive, Bethlehem Avenue, Orange Street, McCarty Avenue, Briar Avenue and Winnie Street. At Loudonville Reservoir new chemical feed systems were constructed for chlorination and pH adjustment.
HOW DO I CONTACT ALBANY CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Albany water provider, Albany City, please use the information below.
By Mail: 10 no. Enterprise
ALBANY, NY, 12204
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR ALBANY CITY
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their Albany City account to pay their Albany water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your Albany 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 Albany water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Albany 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.

HOW TO START & STOP ALBANY WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Albany means you will often need to put the water in your name with Albany 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.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Albany means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Albany 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.

Stop Service Form

The estimated price of bottled water

$1.67 in USD (1.5-liter)

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Albany tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 25% Low
  • Water Pollution 27% Low
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 75% High
  • Water Quality 73% High

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Albany, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Albany Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)

The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Albany's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.

 

CITY OF ALBANY

 

 

DEPARTMENT OF W ATER & W ATER SUPPLY

 

 

10 NORTH ENTERPRISE DRIVE

 

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK 12204

 

 

TELEPHONE (518) 434-5300

 

KA TH Y M. S HEE HA N

FAX (518) 434-5332

JO SEP H E. C OFFE Y , JR , P. E.

MA YO R

 

CO M MIS SI ONE R

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2020

CITY OF ALBANY

10 NORTH ENTERPRISE DRIVE

(Public Water Supply ID# NY 0100 189)

Dear Customer,

We are pleased to provide you with our 2020 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. We are proud to report that Albany water continues to meet all State and Federal water quality standards. The City of Albany has one of the finest and most reliable water supply systems in the nation.

The Albany Water Board continues our commitment to Mayor Kathy Sheehan’s goal of sustainable infrastructure, and we take our responsibility as stewards of the City’s water resources very seriously. In 2020, we continued to benefit from a permanent Conservation Easement with The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy to ensure long term conservation of our valuable watershed properties. Our “Working Woodlands” and Carbon Development and Marketing programs continue to generate revenue that we reinvest in watershed management and protection programs.

Since 2014, we have invested over $65 million in improvements to our infrastructure. In 2020, these improvements included upgrades to the Feura Bush Water Treatment plant; a new booster pump station on Colvin Avenue and storage tank at the Harriman Campus; distribution system improvements and enhancements to our Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. We continue to upgrade and modernize our water system to ensure we are addressing priority needs of our water source, treatment, transmission and distribution systems. We continue to update our digital inventory of water system infrastructure as an integral component of our Asset Management program to assure our investments in our water infrastructure are directed in the most cost-effective manner, and in 2020 we expanded use of Utility Cloud, our Computerized Maintenance and Management System (CMMS).

We continue to expand our public education and outreach to customers emphasizing lead in drinking water. In 2020, assisted by a NYS grant, we expanded our lead waterline service replacement program.

We are fortunate to have a water system planned and designed by visionary predecessors, and we remain committed to doing the best job possible so that future generations will be able to rely upon the pure and abundant waters of Albany’s Alcove and Basic Creek Reservoirs.

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2020

CITY OF ALBANY

DEPARTMENT OF WATER & WATER SUPPLY

10 NORTH ENTERPRISE DRIVE

(Public Water Supply ID# NY 0100 189)

Introduction

The Albany Water Board issues an annual report describing the quality of your drinking water to comply with state regulations. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. We are proud to report that last year your water met all state drinking water health standards and our system had no violations of maximum contaminant levels. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality, and includes details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards. We are pleased to provide you with this information because informed customers are our best customers.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact the City of Albany, Department of Water and Water Supply at 518-434-5300. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Albany Water Board meetings. The meetings are normally held the fourth Friday of each month at 9:00 A.M. at the 10 North Enterprise Drive offices of the Albany Water Department. The schedule of Water Board meetings is posted on our website; www.albanyny.gov/waterquality

Where does our water come from?

In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Atmospheric sources of contamination enter our water sources through rain and snowfall. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. State Health Department and FDA regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Our water source is the Alcove Reservoir, which is surface water and is located on the Hannacroix Creek in the Town of Coeymans. This reservoir has a capacity of 13.5 billion gallons, an average depth of 25 feet and a maximum depth of 75 feet. The Basic Creek Reservoir, in the town of Westerlo, is a secondary source that may be used to augment flow into the Alcove Reservoir to maintain the Alcove elevation. During 2020, our system did not experience any restriction of your water usage due to lack of source water or any other reason.

The water source receives treatment including pre-oxidation, disinfection, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and pH and alkalinity adjustment for corrosion control at the Feura Bush Filtration Facility. Chlorine is added as a residual disinfectant to maintain microbiological quality throughout the distribution system. Ultraviolet light disinfection is a supplemental disinfectant used at the Loudonville Reservoir.

1

Facts and Figures

Our water system serves over 98,000 City residents, commercial, institutional and industrial accounts through approximately 29,000 service connections, and the Towns of Bethlehem and Guilderland through purchase water agreements. The total water treated in 2020 was 6,316,555,488 gallons. The daily water production averaged 17,258,348 gallons, with maximum daily production of 24,883,984 gallons. This year the amount of water produced for customers was 6,211,847,488 gallons, allowing 104,708,000 gallons for filter washes and other filtration plant domestic use.

In 2020, water customers were charged $2.79 per 100 cubic feet of water, which equals $3.73 per 1000 gallons. A 2.5 % increase in water charges was implemented in January 2020.

Are there contaminants in our drinking water?

As State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include: total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, metals including lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, synthetic organic compounds and radioactive materials like Uranium and Radium. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently, though most of our data represented here is from 2020 analysis.

It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, should be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or the Albany County Health Department at 518-447-4620.

2

Table of Detected Contaminants

 

 

 

Level

 

 

 

 

Contaminant

Violation

Date of

Detected

Unit of

MCLG

Regulatory Limit

Likely Source of

Yes/No

Sample

(Avg.)

Measure

(MCL, TT or AL)

Contamination

 

 

 

 

 

(Range)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microbiological Contaminants:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MCL 5% or more

 

Total Coliform1

No

 

1 positive

N/A

0

Positive of sites

Naturally present in the

12/1/2020

sampled per

environment.

 

 

sample

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five days

0.04

Yearly Avg.

 

 

 

 

No

(Min-Max)

N/A

TT < 1.0 NTU

Soil runoff.

 

per week

(0.02 – 0.14)

Combined Filter

 

NTU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effluent Turbidity2

 

Six times

 

 

 

TT 95% of

 

 

No

100 % <0.3

NTU

N/A

Soil runoff.

 

daily

samples <0.30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

 

 

0.21

Yearly Avg.

 

 

 

No

12/1/2020

(Min-Max)

NA

MCL 5 NTU

Soil run off

Turbidity3

(0.06 -3.83)

 

 

NTU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inorganic Contaminants:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural metallic ions,

 

 

Five days

3.16

Color

 

 

humic and fulvic acids,

Color

No

 

 

dissolved plant

per week

(2.0 - 5.0)

units

N/A

15.0 Color units

 

 

components and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

treatment chemicals.

 

 

Five days

1.82

Threshold

 

 

Decaying vegetation and

Odor

No

N/A

3 Threshold units

metabolites of microbiota

per week

(1-3)

units

 

 

 

 

and disinfectants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alkalinity

No

Five days

42.4

mg/L of

N/A

N/A

Naturally occurring

per week

(39.4-45.4)

CaCo3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mg/L of

 

 

Sedimentary rocks (lime

Hardness

No

11/24/2020

56.8

N/A

N/A

stone) seepage, runoff from

CaCo3

 

 

 

 

 

 

soil and treatment process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barium

No

11/24/2020

0.004

mg/L

2

2 mg/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloride

No

Five days

30.2

mg/L

N/A

MCL 250 mg/L

Soils, road salt.

per week

(29.5-32.1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sodium4

No

11/24/2020

20.3

mg/L

NA

20.0 mg/L

Occurs naturally in almost all

270 mg/L

waters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.0

 

 

 

Occurs naturally in almost all

Sulfate

No

Monthly

mg/L

N/A

MCL 250 mg/L

waters.

(6.2-8.5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copper5

No

2018

53.7*

µg/L

ND

AL 1300 µg/L

Corrosion of pipes.

(ND-91.0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lead6

No

2018

13.9*

µg/L

0

AL 15 µg/L

Corrosion of pipes.

(ND-25.7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disinfection Byproducts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

48.7

 

 

MCL 80 µg/L

Disinfection by-products,

No

Quarterly

µg/L

N/A

resulting from chlorinating

Trihalomethane

(35.8 – 61.4)

LRAA7

 

 

 

 

drinking water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17.9

 

 

MCL 60 µg/L

Disinfection by-products,

Haloacetic Acids

No

Quarterly

µg/L

N/A

 

resulting from chlorinating

(13.7-22.1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

LRAA

drinking water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Total Organic

 

2-3 days per

1.66

 

 

 

Occurs naturally in almost all

No

mg/L

N/A

TT

waters.

Carbon

week

(1.25-2.00)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chlorine Residual

No

Six times

0.96

mg/L

4.0

MCL 4.0 mg/L

Added to drinking water to

daily

0.80-1.21

mg/l

Inhibit microbial growth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Radionuclides:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alpha particles

No

Weekly

0.42

pCi/L

NA

15 pCi/L

Erosion of natural deposits.

(ND-1.1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beta particles

No

Weekly

1.3

pCi/L

NA

50 pCi/L8

Erosion of natural deposits.

(ND-5.9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES:

  1. Coliform are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful bacteria may be present. Total coliforms were detected only in 1 sample in 2020, on December, 1 out of 121 routine samples, less than 1.0% of the total samples for that month. Additional samples were subsequently collected and total coliforms were not detected in any of those repeat samples. Since total coliforms were detected in less than 5% of the samples collected during the month, the system did not have a MCL violation. It should be noted that E. coli, associated with human and animal fecal waste, was not detected in any of the samples collected.
  2. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We test it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Our highest turbidity measurement for the year occurred on 09/06/19 (0.4NTU) after plant was shut down for 48 hours although the grab sample at same time was 0.15 NTU. State regulations require that 95% of the turbidity samples collected have measurements below 0.30 NTU.
  3. Distribution turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water found in the distribution system. We monitor it as high turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfectants and it is a good indicator of water quality. A distribution system turbidity violation occurs when the monthly average of the results of all distribution samples collected in any calendar month exceeds the MCL. Our single highest distribution turbidity measurement detected was 3.83 NTU on December 1st with monthly average 0.40 NTU, which was far below the state maximum contaminant level.
  4. Water containing more than 20 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking water by people on severely restricted sodium diets. Water containing more than 270 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking by people on moderately restricted sodium diets.
  5. * The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 55 sites tested in 2018. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the
    percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. In this case, 55 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was the 53.7 g/L with the highest detected value of 91.0 g /L. The action level (1300g/L) for copper was not exceeded at any of the sites tested.
  6. * The level presented 13.9µg /L represents the 90th percentile of the 55 samples collected. The action level (15g/L) for lead was exceeded at four (4) of the 55 sites tested. The highest level detected was 25.7 µg/L.
  7. Locational Running Annual Averages for total Trihalomethane and Haloaceteic acid.
  8. The State considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for beta particles.

Definitions:

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLG as feasible.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG allow for a margin of safety.

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment, or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Non-Detects (ND): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is below detection level or not present.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Milligrams per Liter (mg/L): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one million parts of liquid (parts per million (ppm)).

Micrograms per Liter (µg/L): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion (ppb)).

Picocuries per Liter (pCi/L): A measure of radioactivity in water.

4

Non-Detected Contaminants

According to State regulations, the Albany Water Board routinely monitors your drinking water for various contaminants.

Contaminants that were analyzed for but were found to be below detection limits are not included in this report, however, all required testing was completed according to Local, State, and Federal laws. {A list of non-detected contaminants can be found on City of Albany, Department of Water and Water Supply Website.}

The contaminants that were detected in your drinking water are included in the Table of Detected Contaminants. Additionally, your water is tested from various locations in the distribution system for coliform bacteria four days per week along with free chlorine residuals and turbidities.

What does this information mean?

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations in the reporting year 2020. We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, these contaminants were detected below New York State requirements.

The City of Albany Water Department has implemented a program to minimize lead levels in your drinking water. This program includes: 1) the adjustment of pH and alkalinity levels to minimize corrosion; 2) the replacement of lead service lines as distribution lines are replaced; and, 3) public education. The water department conducted lead and copper testing on select 55 residences in 2018. All residences for 2018 testing were picked after a survey to include houses from all wards in the City of Albany and were built before 1939 and were confirmed with Lead present at their meters. The 90th percentile of the samples collected was 13.9µg /L. The action level (15g/L) for lead was exceeded at four (4) of the 55 sites tested. The highest level detected was 25.7 µg/L at only one location. The City of Albany has a NYSDOH grant for lead service line replacement. The Albany Water Board is undertaking lead service line replacement as part of its Capital Improvements Program when there is construction of new water mains and sewers. The Albany Water Board is developing a program for full service line replacement, including the portion on private property.

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning disabilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

The City of Albany Water Department is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control a variety of materials used in plumbing components. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested. Also, you may flush your cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water for cooking or drinking. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-regulations

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern operations?

We are required to continually monitor your drinking water daily, monthly, quarterly, annually or after multiple years for different contaminants and report to Local, State and Federal authorities. During 2020, our system was in compliance with applicable operating, monitoring and reporting requirements for drinking water regulations.

In 2020 NYS adopted new Maximum Contaminant levels (MCLs) for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and 1,4-Dioxane. Initially we are required to monitor your drinking water for these contaminants

on quarterly basis. Results of first two quarters monitoring are below detection limits for all three contaminants and are an indicator that your drinking water meets all health standards.

5

Information on Unregulated Contaminants

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) establishes periodic monitoring (every 5 years) through the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to assess occurrence of select constituents from the Contaminant Candidate list for potential regulatory consideration. UCMR4 is the 4th cycle of UCMR monitoring, in 2019-2020 we were required to collect and analyze drinking water samples for 30 unregulated contaminants. Most of the contaminants were below detection level except some of the new Brominated Haloacteic acids which were monitored for 4 quarters from 8 different distribution locations. The monitoring schedule is attached, if you are interested and want to learn more you may contact Laboratory Director Dr. Rifat Hussain at 518-635-4408.

UCMR4 2019-2020 Contaminants and Sampling Schedule

Contaminants

 

 

Sampling Dates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Metals

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

Germanium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manganese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8+1 Pasticides

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

Alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chlorpyrifos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dimethipin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethoprop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oxyfluorfen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profenofos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tebuconazole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permethrin (total)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tribufos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3-Semi Volatile

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

Butylated hydroxyanisole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o-Toluidine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quinoline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3-Alcohols

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

1-Butanol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-Methoxyethanol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-Propen-1-ol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Brominated Haloacetic Acid

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

(HAA) from 8 locations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Haloacetic acids (HAA5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Haloacetic acids (HAA6Br)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Haloacetic acids (HAA9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indicators

5/15/2019

8/14/2019

11/13/2019

2/12/2020

 

 

 

Source water Bromide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source water Total Organic C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Cyanotoxins

7/24/2019

8/7/2019

8/21/2019

9/11/2019

9/25/2019

10/2/2019

10/23/2019

Anatoxin-a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cylindrospermopsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Microcystin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Do I Need to Take Special Precautions?

Although our drinking water met or exceeded State and Federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Why Save Water and How to Avoid Wasting It?

Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

  • Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life.
  • Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential firefighting needs are met.
  • You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include:
  • Run only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.
  • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
  • Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it and you may save almost 6,000 gallons per year.
  • Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons per year.
  • Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances, then check the meter after 15 minutes, if it moved, you have a leak.

2020 System Improvements

In 2020 the Albany Water Board had bathymetric surveys performed of the Alcove and Basic Creek Reservoirs, and a new Safe Yield Study was performed. The study indicated that the safe yield is 30.5 million gallons per day.

At the Feura Bush Filtration plant work construction was completed at the lagoons, Lagoon #2 was modified due to a slope failure adjacent to the lagoon on the Onesquethaw Creek. Work was begun on the rehabilitation of the Sedimentation Basin Building. Design was completed for the Feura Bush Electrical Upgrade project, which will be constructed in 2021. Design was completed for the Sodium Permanganate System at the Alcove Reservoir, which will be constructed in 2021. These projects have a total cost of $9.7 million, with $3 million in grants from New York State.

The Albany Water Board completed construction of the Upper Washington Avenue Pressure Zone, which includes a 1 million gallon tank at the New York State Harriman Office Campus and a booster pump station on Roseland Street near Colvin Avenue. This project improve pressure in an area between Colvin Avenue and Fuller Road. This work was coordinated with infrastructure improvements being undertaken by the State of New York at the Harriman Campus. The cost of this project was $5.5 million, with $2.27 million in grant funding from New York State.

New water mains were constructed on Clara Barton Drive, Bethlehem Avenue, Orange Street, McCarty Avenue, Briar Avenue and Winnie Street.

At Loudonville Reservoir new chemical feed systems were constructed for chlorination and pH adjustment.

7

Closing

Thank you for allowing us to continue to provide you and your family with quality drinking water with no water quality violation in year 2020. We continually undertaking measures to maintain and improve our water quality through our treatment and monitoring processes. We ask that all of our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community. Please call our office at 518-434-5300 if you have questions concerning your drinking water.

8

PWS ID# NY 0100 189

2019 AWQ Report Spplement

List of 2020 Non-Detected Contaminants

Monitored NOVEMBER 2020

CITY OF ALBANY

DEPARTMENT OF WATER WATER SUPPLY

10 NORTH ENTERPRISE DRIVE

INORGANIC METALS

Concentration

MCL

SYNTHETIC ORGANIC

Concentration

MCL

detected mg/L

COMPOUNDS

detected mg/L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antimony

<0.40

 

6.00

 

 

 

Arsenic

<0.50

 

10.00

Methyl Carbamate Pesticides

 

Beryllium

<0.30

 

4.00

Aldicarb

<0.50

3.00

Cadmium

<0.090

 

5.00

Aldicarb Sulfone

<0.80

2.00

Chromium

<1.00

 

100.00

Aldicarb Sulfoxide

<0.50

4.00

Cyanide

<5.00

 

200.00

Carbaryl

<0.50

50.00

Bromide

<20.00

 

NA

Carbofuran

<0.90

40.00

Fluoride

<40.0

 

2200.00

3-Hydroxy Carbofuran

<0.50

50.00

Iron

<10.0

 

300.00

Methomyl

<0.50

50.00

Mercury

<0.039

 

2.00

Oxamyl

<2.0

200.00

Nickel

<0.21

 

100.00

Perfluorooctanic Acid

<0.00081

0.01

Selenium

<0.29

 

50.00

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate

<0.001

0.01

Thallium

<0.070

 

2.00

1,4 Dioxane

< 0.0081

1.00

Silver

<0.73

 

100.00

 

 

 

Zinc

<2.5

 

5000.00

 

 

 

Nitrite

<0.037

 

1000.00

 

 

 

Nitrate

<0.037

 

10000.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Micro Extractables

 

 

SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMICALS

 

 

1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB)

<0.010

0.05

Alachlor

<0..05

 

2.00

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane

<0.020

0.20

Aldrin

<0.10

 

 

 

 

 

Atrazine

<0.05

 

3.00

 

 

 

Benzo(a)pyrene

<0.020

 

0.20

Chlorinated Herbicides

 

 

Butachlor

<0.05

 

50.00

2,4-D

<0.10

50.00

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

<0.57

 

6.00

Dalapon

<1.00

200.00

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate

<0.57

 

50.00

Dicamba

<0.50

50.00

Dieldrin

<0.030

 

5.00

Dichloroprop

<0.50

 

Endrin

<0.010

 

2.00

Dinoseb

<0.20

7.00

Heptachlor

<0.04

 

0.40

Pentachlorophenol

<0.040

1.00

Heptachlor epoxide

<0.020

 

0.20

Pichloram

<0.10

500.00

Hexachlorobenzene

<0..05

 

1.00

2,4,5-T

<0.50

 

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene

<0..05

 

50.00

2,4,5-TP

<0.20

50.00

Lindane

<0.02

 

0.20

 

 

 

Methoxychlor

<0.05

 

40.00

 

 

 

Metolachlor

<0.10

 

50.00

Organohalide Pesticides & PCB's

 

Metribuzin

<0.05

 

50.00

PCB, Total

<0.10

0.50

Simazine

<0.050

 

4.00

Chlordane Total

<0.19

2.00

 

 

 

 

Propachlor

<0.05

 

 

 

 

 

Toxaphene

<0.95

3.00

 

 

 

 

Various PCBs Screend

ND

0.50

PWS ID# NY 0100 189

2019 AWQ Report Spplement

List of 2020 Non-Detected Contaminants

Monitored NOVEMBER 2020

CITY OF ALBANY

DEPARTMENT OF WATER WATER SUPPLY

10 NORTH ENTERPRISE DRIVE

 

Concentratio

 

 

Concentratio

 

VOLATILE ORGANICS

n detected

MCL

VOLATILE ORGANICS

n detected

MCL

 

mg/L

 

 

mg/L

 

Benzene

<0.050

5.00

1,1-Dichloropropene

<0.045

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bromobenzene

<0.050

5.00

Total 1,3-dichloropropene

<0.150

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bromochloromethane

<0.063

5.00

Ethylbenzene

<0.044

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bromform

<0.080

5.00

Hexachlorobutadiene

<0.074

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bromomethane

<0.080

5.00

Isopropylbenzene

<0.041

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

N-Butylbenzene

<0.085

5.00

p-Isopropyltoluene

<0.050

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sec-Butylbenzene

<0.047

5.00

Methylene chloride

<0.061

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tert-butylbenzene

<0.033

5.00

Methyl-t-butyl Ether (MTBE)

<0.053

10.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carbon tetrochloride

<0.066

5.00

Naphthalene

<0.11

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chlorobenzene

<0.037

5.00

n-Propylbenzene

<0.036

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloroethane

<0.19

5.00

Styrene

<0.036

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloromethane

<0.029

5.00

1,1,2,2,-Tetrachloroethane

<0.08

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

2-Chlorotoluene

<0.048

5.00

1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane

<0.07

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-Chlorotoluene

<0.055

5.00

Tetrachloroethene

<0.079

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dibromomethane

<0.070

5.00

Toluene

<0.412

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,2-Dibromomethane

<0.01

5.00

1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene

<0.07

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,2-Dichlorobenzene

<0.041

5.00

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene

<0.053

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,3-Dichlorobenzene

<0.036

5.00

1,1,1-Trichloroethane

<0.05

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,4-Dichlorobenzene

<0.031

5.00

1,1,2-Trichloroethane

<0.0701

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dichlorodifluoromethane

<0.042

5.00

Trichloroethene

0.044

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,1-Dichloroethane

<0.024

5.00

Trichlorofluoromethane

<0.074

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,2-Dichloroethane

<0.050

5.00

1,2,3-Trichloropropane

<0.072

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,1-Dichloroethene

<0.054

5.00

1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene

<0.043

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cis-1,2-dichloroethene

<0.064

5.00

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene

<0.043

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trans-1,2-dichloroethene

<0.10

5.00

Vinyl-Chloride

<0.026

2.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,2-Dichloropropane

<0.027

5.00

Xylene (total)

<0.34

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,3-Dichloropropane

<0.023

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,2-Dichloropropane

<0.0680

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contaminants


Albany City

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: 132082
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Surface water
  • Total: 16

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
  • Chlorate
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • Monochloroacetic acid
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrate and nitrite
  • 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

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