Free tap water grades for 1,100+ water systems & 10,000+ ZIP codesFree tap water grades for 10,000+ ZIP codes Official EPA compliance records · Independent ratings

Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026

ROCHESTER CITY

Serving 210,000 residents in ROCHESTER (C), New York .

National rank 32th percentile
New York rank 41th percentile
Data confidence Medium
D
64/100
Below Average
ⓘ How did we get this rating?
Quick answer

ROCHESTER CITY delivers tap water graded D (64/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 210,000 residents in ROCHESTER (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. For questions, the utility can be reached at 585-428-6097.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
210,000
People served
1
City served
21
Contaminants detected
11
Above health guidelines

Is ROCHESTER (C) tap water safe to drink?

ROCHESTER CITY delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (64/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including haloacetic acids (haa9) significantly above health guideline.

The utility serves 210,000 residents in ROCHESTER (C), drawing from surface water.

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), Bromodichloromethane, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Bromochloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent). 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.

EPA compliance record

Official U.S. EPA records for ROCHESTER CITY (system ID NY2704518) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

Health-based violation in the last 3 years. A contaminant was above the legal limit or required treatment was not met in at least one quarter.
5 of 12quarters with a violation
Nolead above EPA action level
12/08/2025last state inspection
RuleTypeSinceStatus
Lead and Copper Rule Required treatment not met 01/01/2025 Open

Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for ROCHESTER CITY.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 35.0 ppb, 584x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 48.4 ppb, 323x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 28.5 ppb, 285x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Contact ROCHESTER CITY

Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.

Recommended water filters for ROCHESTER (C)

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)

$180-$599

Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.

Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter
$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

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 64/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
19 / 40
Legal Compliance
10 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
18 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
7 / 10

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
35.0 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 584× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
48.4 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 — — — 323× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
28.5 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 — — — 285× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
10.1 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 168× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
14.4 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 144× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
35.7 ppb 0.4 — — — — — 89× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
13.5 ppb 0.2 — — — — — 67× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
2.6 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 26× over
Radium, combined (-226 and -228)
Radiological
1.11 pCi/L 0.05 5.0 — — — — 22× over
Bromochloromethane
Other
0.433 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 7.2× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.0339 ppb 0.02 — — — — — 1.7× over
Nitrate
Inorganic
0.123 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 — Below guideline
Nitrate and nitrite
Inorganic
0.123 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 — Below guideline
Chlorate
Disinfection byproduct
44.3 ppb 210.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
0.0167 ppb 0.5 — — — — — Below guideline
Barium
Heavy metal
16.3 ppb 700.0 2000.0 — 1300 2000 — Below guideline
Monochloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.607 ppb 53.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
0.125 ppb 40.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
0.16 ppb 100.0 — 50 80 — — Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.065 ppb 1500.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.7 ppm — 4.0 1.5 1.5 — — 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.

ROCHESTER CITY service area

This water system serves 1 community in Monroe County, New York. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
NY2704518
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water
Service connections
62,000
Service area
ROCHESTER (C), Monroe County, New York