Public water system · NY0501721
ActiveOwasco Water District
At a glance
Owasco Water District (PWSID NY0501721) is an active community water system in Cayuga County, New York. It reports serving 3,000 people through 1,448 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 January 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,000
Service connections
1,448
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Owasco Water District compare with other water systems in Cayuga County?
By EPA's size categories, Owasco Water District is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Cayuga County has 88 active public water systems, and Owasco Water District is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.3 times the county average of 702 people per system, and accounts for 4.9% of the 61,743 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 Owasco Water District is about 55% below 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 Owasco Water District?
EPA lists Owasco Water District 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. 26 of the 88 active systems in Cayuga County (30%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Owasco Water District have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2017. The violations listed here began between February 1988 and January 2017. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (2 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved and 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Fluoridecode 1025 | No | Archived |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Mercurycode 1035 | No | Archived |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Archived |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | No | Archived |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | No | Archived |
| 1988-02-23 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
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.
Owasco Water District: frequently asked questions
Who runs Owasco Water District?
Owasco Water District (PWSID NY0501721) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NY state drinking water program.
How many people does Owasco Water District serve?
Owasco Water District reports serving 3,000 people through 1,448 service connections in Cayuga County, New York.
Where does Owasco Water District 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 Owasco Water District 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 January 2017. 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 Owasco Water District'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 January 2017. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NY state drinking water program.
Where can I find Owasco Water District's water quality report?
As a community water system, Owasco Water District 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 Cayuga County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Cayuga | 27,179 | Community | Surface water |
| Sterling Renaissance Festival | Cayuga | 3,523 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Weedsport Village | Cayuga | 2,300 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Union Springs Village | Cayuga | 2,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Moravia Village | Cayuga | 1,950 | Community | Groundwater |
| Fleming Wd #1 | Cayuga | 1,800 | 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, “Owasco Water District, PWSID NY0501721, New York”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-york/owasco-water-district-ny0501721 (data as of October 1, 2026).