What About Lead?
New York City System - click here to return to the utility page.
According to EWG’s analysis of data from the U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System, this utility complied with federal water quality regulations from January 2018 - December 2018, the latest assessment period available.
90 percent of lead samples collected by this utility measured below 11.0 parts per billion (ppb).
Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule, 90 percent of household samples must have less than 15 ppb lead. If this legal limit is exceeded, the water utility must apply measures to control lead leaching from the pipes.
Complying with the EPA's lead rules doesn't mean that water is safe for children to drink. Recent EPA modeling suggests that lead concentrations in the 3.8 to 15 ppb range put a formula-fed baby at risk of elevated blood lead levels. In 2009, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal level of 0.2 ppb for lead in drinking water to protect against even subtle IQ loss for children.