Schenectady, NY Water Quality (ZIP 12302)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 12302 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 12302's water at an average of 0.01 ppt across 5 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 12302? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, an NSF-53 certified pitcher (Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 12302 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 12302 (Schenectady, NY). Monitoring found a peak of 0.01 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 0.01 ppt over 5 detected compounds.

Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 12302

• PFHXS: 0.01 ppt
• PFPEA: 0.01 ppt
• PFBA: 0.01 ppt
• PFOA: 0.01 ppt
• PFHXA: 0 ppt

Lead in ZIP 12302 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 13 lead samples for the systems serving 12302, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0217 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 12302

The water systems serving 12302 have 2 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Total Organic Carbon. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 12302 in Schenectady, NY.

Beyond water: other exposures in Schenectady, NY

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 12302 and Schenectady County, NY.

Radon risk in Schenectady County, NY

The EPA places Schenectady County, NY in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Schenectady County, NY

Census figures show 77% of homes in Schenectady County, NY were built before 1980, and 42% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Schenectady County, NY

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Schenectady County, NY averages 6.6 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Industrial releases near 12302

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 1 reporting facility within about five miles of 12302, together reporting roughly 90,068 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.