Newburgh, NY Water Quality Report

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

Quick Answers

Is Newburgh, NY tap water safe to drink? Newburgh, NY water has high PFAS contamination. EPA UCMR5 testing detected a peak level of 170 ppt, significantly above the EPA's 4 ppt enforceable limit. A reverse osmosis or certified PFAS filter is strongly recommended.

What contaminants are in Newburgh, NY water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Newburgh water: PFOS (170 ppt), PFHxS (70 ppt), PFOA (27 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.

What filter should I use in Newburgh, NY? An NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis system is the strongest option, removing 90%+ of PFAS along with lead and arsenic. For renters or smaller households in Newburgh, an NSF-53 certified pitcher (Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater, LifeStraw) is a practical alternative. Ordinary Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

Newburgh, NY Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Newburgh, NY drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 170 ppt across 2 water systems, representing an average of 18 ppt across 6 detected compounds.

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

Top Detected Compounds

  • PFOS: 170 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFHxS: 70 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFOA: 27 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFHpA: 21 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)
  • PFPeA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in Newburgh, NY Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 55 lead samples for Newburgh water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0655 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 Newburgh, NY

Newburgh public water systems have 52 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Chloroform, Arsenic, Total Organic Carbon, Coliform (Total). Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

The numbers on this page are drawn from EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), which covers 66,000+ public water systems nationwide, including those serving Newburgh, NY's approximately 28,856 residents.

ZIP Codes Served

12550, 12551

What Newburgh, New York 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 the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) your New York utility publishes annually