State water index

New York water hardness

Search 502 indexed communities and 830 ZIP profiles, then compare the underlying utility, source, distance, and reporting context.

Median regional evidence

147PPM

Hard

Indexed range 5.5–1070 PPM

ZIP profiles: 830
Cities: 502
Matched utilities: 1,055
Counties: 62

Understanding New York

Why local comparisons matter here

New York includes the Catskill and Delaware reservoir system, Great Lakes and major rivers, Adirondack watersheds, and productive groundwater including Long Island aquifers.

In this index, hard is the largest category, covering 365 of 810 profiles with hardness data. The state median is 147 PPM, but the full indexed range is 5.5–1070 PPM.

State distribution

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

Counts describe published ZIP profiles, not a population-weighted statewide sample.

Soft · 0–60 PPM52

Moderately hard · 61–120 PPM132

Hard · 121–180 PPM365

Very hard · 181+ PPM261

Evidence coverage

What the current records support

Hardness estimate: 98%
Lead 90th percentile: 100%
Copper 90th percentile: 20%

242

Low-confidence hardness profiles

405

Research-comparison eligible profiles

Reported source water

Utility source mix

Groundwater: 686
Surface water: 317
Groundwater influenced by surface water: 49
Source not reported: 3

Highest medians

Highest eligible city medians

Lowest medians

Lowest eligible city medians

City directory

Explore New York by city

Search by city or county, then sort by name, hardness, or ZIP coverage.

502 cities · 830 ZIP profiles

Search city or county

County

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502 cities found

Page 1 of 21

Adams

Jefferson County · 1 ZIP

151PPM regional

County	Median	Range	ZIP profiles
Livingston County	434 PPM	321–434	9
Genesee County	386 PPM	282–574	8
Montgomery County	368 PPM	83.4–385.5	7
Yates County	366 PPM	250–482	4
Monroe County	320 PPM	282–320.5	34
Cayuga County	319 PPM	180.5–600.5	10
Ontario County	313 PPM	287–418.5	11
Wayne County	305 PPM	205–344.5	12
Onondaga County	301 PPM	207–301	18
Wyoming County	293 PPM	200–728	9
Seneca County	290 PPM	188–290	4
Orleans County	270 PPM	233–334	4

Why local comparisons matter here

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

What the current records support

Utility source mix

Highest eligible city medians

Lowest eligible city medians

Explore New York by city

Adams

Addison

Afton

Akron

Albany

Albion

Alexander

Alexandria Bay

Alfred

Allegany

Almond

Altamont

Altmar

Altona

Amenia

Amsterdam

Andes

Andover

Angelica

Antwerp

Arcade

Ardsley

Argyle

Arkport

Highest regional-evidence county medians