Is Dunkirk, NY tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Dunkirk has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and New York’s records: Dunkirk City.
Dunkirk City, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 9.7 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Dunkirk’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Dunkirk City
New York · serves 12,743 people · about 2,500 in Dunkirk
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 9.7 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Pomfret North End Water District
New York · serves 360 people · under 100 in Dunkirk
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.6 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Dunkirk City’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
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: Lead
Water testing near Dunkirk
The 3 labs New York certifies closest to Dunkirk, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Chautauqua County Health
Mayville, NY · about 20 miles
Certified for bacteria
Mcandrew Laboratory Inc.
Orchard Park, NY · about 35 miles
Certified for bacteria
Erie County Public Health Laboratory
Buffalo, NY · about 40 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals
ZIP codes in Dunkirk
Which ZIP codes are in Dunkirk: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: NYS Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP), drinking water labs, as listed in TNI LAMS; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Dunkirk
Other towns in Chautauqua County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Dunkirk City’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water