Public water system · NY1400422
ActiveBuffalo Water Authority
At a glance
Buffalo Water Authority (PWSID NY1400422) is an active community water system in Erie County, New York. It reports serving 276,000 people through 80,000 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
276,000
Service connections
80,000
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Buffalo Water Authority compare with other water systems in Erie County?
By EPA's size categories, Buffalo Water Authority is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Erie County has 108 active public water systems, and Buffalo Water Authority is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 31 times the county average of 8,858 people per system, and accounts for 29% of the 956,649 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New York, the 8,167 active systems average 2,374 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Buffalo Water Authority is about 41 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. New York has 2,281 active community water systems, 28% of the state's 8,167 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 296 New York systems (3.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Buffalo Water Authority?
EPA lists Buffalo Water Authority as owned by a local government. The NY state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 36 of the 108 active systems in Erie County (33%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Buffalo Water Authority have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between January 2014 and October 2024. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (2 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), totalcode 2383 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Pentachlorophenolcode 2326 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)code 2110 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipatecode 2035 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Simazinecode 2037 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dalaponcode 2031 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Buffalo Water Authority: frequently asked questions
Who runs Buffalo Water Authority?
Buffalo Water Authority (PWSID NY1400422) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NY state drinking water program.
How many people does Buffalo Water Authority serve?
Buffalo Water Authority reports serving 276,000 people through 80,000 service connections in Erie County, New York.
Where does Buffalo Water Authority get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Buffalo Water Authority have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Buffalo Water Authority's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NY state drinking water program.
Where can I find Buffalo Water Authority's water quality report?
As a community water system, Buffalo Water Authority must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Erie County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecwa Direct | Erie | 313,380 | Community | Surface water |
| Ecwa Amherst | Erie | 92,697 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Tonawanda, Town Water Dept. | Erie | 72,571 | Community | Surface water |
| Ecwa Lancaster | Erie | 29,018 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ecwa Orchard Park | Erie | 24,582 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ecwa West Seneca | Erie | 23,557 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Buffalo Water Authority, PWSID NY1400422, New York”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-york/buffalo-water-authority-ny1400422 (data as of October 1, 2026).