Indian Lake WD
What EPA’s and New York’s records show in this utility’s water: nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 900 people
- Connections
- 475
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Indian Lake (T), NY
- County
- Hamilton
- Owner
- Local government
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s legal limit, and 2 more are above the health goal. The worst: Copper, above the action level. 1 health-based violation since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2002 to 2021.
Uranium, haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), nitrate and arsenic: New York’s yearly summaries per water system, 2020 to 2024, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
Chromium (total) and fluoride: EPA’s compliance monitoring file, samples taken from April 21, 2014 to Aug. 29, 2017. Newer results are in the utility’s annual water quality report.
Above the legal limit1
Copper
Comes from pipes, often your own
1.7ppm
90th percentile, 2019 to 2021
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.7 ppm, above EPA’s action level of 1.3 ppm.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Copper Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Copper Reduction”
Above the health goal2
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
3.0ppb
90th percentile, 2025
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 3.0 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Uranium
Comes from the source
0.89ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.89 ppb, in 2020: below EPA’s legal limit of 30 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. That is the only year on file.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Uranium”
Below EPA’s limits3
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
51.3ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2024
2024 average: 1.2 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 51.3 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 64 ppb. In 2024, the latest year on file, it averaged 1.2 ppb. EPA recorded no violation for haloacetic acids (HAA5) at this utility since 2020. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 44.5 ppb, in 2012.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
64.8ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2024
2024 average: 54.7 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 64.8 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 80 ppb. In 2024, the latest year on file, it averaged 54.7 ppb. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 69 ppb, in 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
0.33ppm
Highest sample; found in 5 of 5
2024 average: 0.33 ppm
The highest sample, in 2024, was 0.33 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. That was also the latest year on file, and it averaged 0.33 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.46 ppm, in 2013.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
3 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- Arsenic
- Chromium (total)
- Fluoride
What handles it
A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”
- NSF/ANSI 53
Claims: Copper Reduction, Lead Reduction
For: Copper, Lead
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Copper Reduction, Lead Reduction, Uranium
For: Copper, Lead, Uranium
At the tap, or for the whole house?
Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass Water Filter Pitcher
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Copper, Lead
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper, Free | MPL Non-Compliance | Jan. 1, 2021 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Uranium, haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), nitrate and arsenic results here are New York’s own yearly summaries from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Chromium (total) and fluoride come from EPA’s file alone, which ends in 2019. Indian Lake WD’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has newer results for those and the contaminants this page does not show.
Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 didn’t sample this utility; New York’s yearly summaries cover 2020 to 2024; EPA’s compliance samples are from April 21, 2014 to Aug. 29, 2017.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs New York certifies closest to the area Indian Lake WD serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Endyne, Inc.
Lake George, NY · about 39 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Gloversville Water Works
Gloversville, NY · about 42 miles
Certified for bacteria
Queensbury Laboratory
Queensbury, NY · about 44 miles
Certified for bacteria
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- New York State Department of Health, Environmental Public Health Tracker, results from Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2024, read Oct. 8, 2026
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Certified labs: NYS Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP), drinking water labs, as listed in TNI LAMS, read Oct. 11, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID NY2000126. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 3 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with Copper
- Get the utility’s own reportIndian Lake WD must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show, and has newer results than EPA’s national file for the ones here that come from it.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs