Is Ithaca, NY Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Ithaca's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Nitrate	1700 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Chlorite	552.15 µg/L 55% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Highest in the city: ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	1/6	SYR4
Fluoride	190 µg/L 4.8% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	1/6	SYR4
TTHM	115.25 µg/L 144% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Chloroform	103.25 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	69.35 µg/L 116% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 60 µg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	49.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Barium	33.54 µg/L 1.7% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 42.6 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	25 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	14 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 16.85 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid	2.65 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 10.6 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Chromium	3.185 µg/L 3.2% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 5.7 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid	1.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 5.25 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	2.3 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 4.33 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 2.72 µg/L — ITHACA CITY · 29,457 people · 2019	2/6	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	0.9070 pCi/L 18% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2017	1/6	SYR4
6:2 Fts	0.0115 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: ITHACA TOWN WD · 13,000 people · 2024	1/6	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0024 mg/L 16% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 31,581 people · 2023 Highest in the city: 0.0088 mg/L — ITHACA TOWN WD · 13,000 people · 2023	6/6	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Ithaca

Supplier	Population served
CORNELL UNIVERSITY	31,581
ITHACA CITY	29,457
ITHACA TOWN WD	13,000
CAYUGA HEIGHTS VILLAGE	3,170
LANSING (V)	3,100
WHITE HAWK ECOVILLAGE COMMUNITY	25

Frequently asked questions about Ithaca tap water

Is Ithaca tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 18 contaminants in the water serving Ithaca. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Ithaca?

6 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Ithaca, New York to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Ithaca's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Ithaca include Nitrate, Chlorite, Fluoride, TTHM, Chloroform. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.