Albany, NY Water Quality Report

Is Albany tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Albany, New York. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.

Quick Answers

Is Albany tap water safe to drink? Albany water has high PFAS contamination. EPA UCMR5 testing detected a peak level of 141 ppt, significantly above the EPA's 4 ppt enforceable limit. A reverse osmosis or certified PFAS filter is strongly recommended.

What contaminants are in Albany water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Albany water: lithium (141 ppt), PFOA (0.01 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.

What filter should I use in Albany? Reverse osmosis removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. NSF-53 certified pitcher and faucet filters (ZeroWater, Clearly Filtered, LifeStraw) work for smaller households. Skip standard Brita filters for PFAS removal.

Albany Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Albany drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 141 ppt across 2 water systems, representing an average of 37.96 ppt across 2 detected compounds.

Contamination Level: HIGH – High contamination – multiple PFAS compounds detected at levels significantly above EPA safety thresholds.

Top Detected Compounds

  • lithium: 141 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFOA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in Albany Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 29 lead samples for Albany water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.01612 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.

EPA Violations in Albany

Albany public water systems have 60 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Combined Radium (226+228), 1028, 1017. Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history, covering 66,000+ public water systems. Population of Albany: approximately 99,224.

ZIP Codes Served

12201, 12202, 12203, 12204, 12205

What Albany Residents Should Do

  1. Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
  2. Install an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis filter (removes 94-99% of PFAS)
  3. If you're in a high-exposure group (pregnant, young children), consider a PFAS home test kit
  4. Review your utility's Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) annually