Is Syracuse, NY tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 3 utilities serving Syracuse have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and New York’s records: Syracuse City and Dewitt Wds - South.
Syracuse City, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 12 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 Syracuse’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Syracuse City
New York · serves 192,000 people · about 123,200 in Syracuse
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 12 ppb, above the health goal.
17 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
OCWA
New York · serves 350,000 people · about 3,800 in Syracuse
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 8.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard, 115 to 190 mg/L (6.7 to 11.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Dewitt Wds - South
New York · serves 16,200 people · about 1,000 in Syracuse
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.0 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Syracuse 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 Syracuse
The 3 labs New York certifies closest to Syracuse, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Certified Environmental Services Inc.
North Syracuse, NY · about 6 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Panek Laboratory LLC Dba Jli Environmental Laboratories
Auburn, NY · about 23 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
A & P Water Testing
Morrisville, NY · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in Syracuse: 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 Syracuse
Other towns in Onondaga County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Syracuse 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