Water Quality in Upstate New York

websitebuilder • Nov 05, 2021

New Yorkers from the Capital Region all the way to Western New York have questions and concerns about their water quality.

From Albany to Buffalo, homeowners have similar questions about the water they use every day for everything from drinking to cleaning; what’s that smell? Why is my water discolored? My water has an odd consistency to it, why? The reality is that, depending on your location and municipality, the source of your water and the quality control for that source can vary quite a bit.

First let's cover some of the broader strokes, since many water conditions have a regional component that tends to be consistent across certain areas. Here in New York, and the North East in general, there are a few things to be on the lookout for: Arsenic, Iron Deposits, Lead, Chlorine, Salt and High Acidity Levels. These are not the only potential issues with water quality in New York, but are considered to be the most common.

In rural areas (Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, North Country and even northern parts of the Capitol Region) Boil Water Advisories can be an almost regular occurrence, municipalities can have a difficult time keeping up with monitoring water conditions over entire towns and counties. There's also the very real and somewhat uncomfortable reality that industrial runoff is a continuing and intermittent issue for many homeowners with well water. These days you can find articles monthly in the Times Union about regional water quality issues.

When it comes to bad smells you’re generally looking at sulfur or iron, which can be difficult to differentiate since they often have a similar stinky “egg” odor. With discoloration iron and high acidity are most likely the culprits. Slow degradation of a home's plumbing will cause pipes to rust into the water, which will break many home appliances and begin to take on a yellow or reddish hue out of the faucet. If there’s an indescribable “taste” issue it is likely chlorine or salt, but could be almost any of the other regional issues as well.

Better drinking water is closer than you think

If you’ve identified an issue with your water quality the next step is generally getting some tests done and looking into a water treatment system. Most companies that offer water treatment services will supply you with a water test for free, since their goal is to be your service provider. This process generally does not take long and you should be able to get a few different quotes without much effort, either through online requests or contacting companies directly.

If you ever have any questions about how these systems work feel free to give us a call or fill a form here on our site to learn more. If you’re interested in a free water test or getting a quote on a treatment system you could also fill out a form or call our office and request an appointment. As always, our number one priority is helping homeowners find the best solutions for their needs, and we’re always happy to help however we can.

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