Onondaga County, New York has about 469,812 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 25 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Ocwa, serving about 350,000 people from surface water.
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Ocwa Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence
115–190 mg/L (varies by area; no single average published)
Source: ONONDAGA COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY water quality report, 2025
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
At this hardness most homes don't need a softener. Confirm with a test strip if you see scale.
The 6 biggest of 25 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
NY3304336 · serves about 350,000 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 8 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NY3304334 · serves about 192,000 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 12 ppb (period starting 2025-07-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NY3304343 · serves about 16,200 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 3 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NY3304344 · serves about 16,000 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 4 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NY3316112 · serves about 13,600 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 3 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NY3304307 · serves about 9,200 people · Groundwater
Lead 90th percentile: 4 ppb (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.
These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.
1 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Ocwa's most recent lead 90th percentile was 8 ppb (2026), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.
Ocwa reports hardness from 115 to 190 mg/L depending on where you live, with no single system-wide average, so check your area in its report or test your water.
2 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Most homes are served by Ocwa or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.
Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.