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Not health advice. Contact your local water utility for concerns.
Data from EPA Water Quality Reports. For official information, contact your water utility or health department.
Real EPA measurements of bacteria (coliform) for New York water systems — Six-Year Review compliance samples 2012–2019 (historical). Methodology
EPA does not publish per-city bacteria (coliform) measurements for New York in the datasets we use, so this section shows what regulators actually recorded: every Safe Drinking Water Act violation tied to bacteria (coliform) at the 5 New York public water systems we track, since 2016. Source: EPA SDWIS via ECHO (2026 Q2 extract).
1 of 5 tracked New York systems logged 2 bacteria (coliform) violations since 2016; 0 were health-based (a limit or treatment requirement), the rest monitoring or reporting failures.
Every New York system with a bacteria (coliform) result in EPA's data, sorted by level. Averages of 2012–2019 finished-water samples, non-detects counted as zero — historical, not today's tap.
No bacteria (coliform) detections have been reported in New York cities.
Coliform bacteria indicate potential fecal contamination. E. coli can cause severe gastrointestinal illness including bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney failure. Other waterborne pathogens cause cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, and giardiasis. Young children, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals face the greatest risk for severe outcomes.
Human and animal fecal waste; sewage treatment plant discharges; septic system failures
Based on our analysis of EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) data and local water utility reports,bacteria (coliform) has been detected in 0 New York water systems.
The EPA requires no more than 5% of samples test positive for coliform. Any E. coli positive triggers a violation. The EPA MCL for bacteria (coliform) is 0 presence/absence. This limit is set to protect public health based on available scientific evidence about the contaminant's health effects.
0 New York cities have bacteria (coliform) detected in their water supply. All tested cities are within EPA safety limits.
Gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea, vomiting, potential kidney damage from E. coli. The most vulnerable groups include infants and young children and elderly.
The most effective methods for removing bacteria (coliform) include UV Disinfection, Reverse Osmosis, Ultrafiltration. Look for filters certified by NSF/ANSI for bacteria (coliform) reduction.
The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for bacteria (coliform) is 0 presence/absence.The EPA requires no more than 5% of samples test positive for coliform. Any E. coli positive triggers a violation.
This page shows what New York utilities reported for bacteria (coliform). It cannot tell you what is coming out of your own tap: utility samples are taken across a whole system and averaged, levels vary by address and season, and anything picked up after the water leaves the main never appears in their report.
Home water test kitscheck your own tap before buying any filterRecommended filtration methods for bacteria (coliform) removal:
Kills 99.99% of microorganisms
Physical barrier to bacteria
Removes bacteria by size exclusion
Paid links. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Filters are matched to the removal methods listed above for bacteria (coliform).