Public water system · NY3304334
ActiveSyracuse City
At a glance
Syracuse City (PWSID NY3304334) is an active community water system in Onondaga County, New York. It reports serving 192,000 people through 45,503 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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
192,000
Service connections
45,503
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Syracuse City compare with other water systems in Onondaga County?
By EPA's size categories, Syracuse City is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Onondaga County has 89 active public water systems, and Syracuse City is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 28 times the county average of 6,921 people per system, and accounts for 31% of the 615,939 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 Syracuse City is about 29 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 Syracuse City?
EPA lists Syracuse City 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. 12 of the 89 active systems in Onondaga County (13%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Syracuse City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. The violations listed here began between November 2021 and March 2026. By type: 10 required treatment not met, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Surface Water Treatment Rule (7 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved, 3 as archived and 2 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-30 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherSample Siting Plan Errors (RTCR) · code 5A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-03-30 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2025-03-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-09-29 | MonitoringMonitor Coliform Turbidity Trigger (RTCR) · code 3C | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2024-06-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Archived |
| 2023-04-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2023-03-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-12-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-11-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | 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.
Syracuse City: frequently asked questions
Who runs Syracuse City?
Syracuse City (PWSID NY3304334) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NY state drinking water program.
How many people does Syracuse City serve?
Syracuse City reports serving 192,000 people through 45,503 service connections in Onondaga County, New York.
Where does Syracuse City 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 Syracuse City have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. 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 Syracuse City'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, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NY state drinking water program.
Where can I find Syracuse City's water quality report?
As a community water system, Syracuse City 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 Onondaga County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocwa | Onondaga | 350,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Dewitt Wds - South | Onondaga | 16,200 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Clay Wds | Onondaga | 16,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Dewitt Wds - North | Onondaga | 13,600 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Baldwinsville Village | Onondaga | 9,200 | Community | Groundwater |
| Skaneateles Wds | Onondaga | 3,500 | 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, “Syracuse City, PWSID NY3304334, New York”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-york/syracuse-city-ny3304334 (data as of October 1, 2026).