Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
ALBANY CITY
ALBANY CITY delivers tap water graded C (65/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 98,000 residents in ALBANY (C), New York using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic detected. For questions, the utility can be reached at 518-434-5300.
Is ALBANY (C) tap water safe to drink?
ALBANY CITY delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (65/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.
The utility serves 98,000 residents in ALBANY (C), drawing from surface water. Despite being legal under US EPA standards, this water would fail the European Union's Drinking Water Directive, primarily due to haloacetic acids (haa9) significantly above health guideline.
Public testing data identifies 11 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chloroform, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromodichloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Arsenic, Dibromochloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent), Manganese. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Quick actions for ALBANY (C) residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for ALBANY CITY.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 21.6 ppb, 360x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 46.7 ppb, 312x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 17.8 ppb, 178x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Arsenic detected
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 0.107 ppb.
Contact ALBANY CITY
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for ALBANY (C)
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 65/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
21.6 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 360× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
46.7 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 312× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
17.8 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 178× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
40.7 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 102× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.99 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 80× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.51 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 75× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
8.93 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 45× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
0.107 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 27× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.601 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.0× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0717 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.6× over |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
348.2 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Fails EU |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.0527 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
16.6 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.917 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.371 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
3.33 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.00562 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0489 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrite Inorganic |
0.0363 ppm | — | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
ALBANY CITY service area
This water system serves 1 community in Albany County, New York. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for ALBANY (C) water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.