New York Private Well Water Quality 2026

New York’s PFAS Crisis — Ground Zero for Private Wells

New York has been at the centre of America’s PFAS reckoning longer than almost any other state. The community of Hoosick Falls became one of the first nationally recognised flashpoints when, in 2015, PFOA was detected in the village’s public water supply — contamination traced to Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Honeywell International, and 3M, manufacturers that had been operating in the area for decades. Private wells throughout the surrounding Town of Hoosick were also contaminated. Three of the four defendant companies — Saint-Gobain, Honeywell, and 3M — settled the resulting class action lawsuit for $65.25 million in 2021. DuPont then agreed to a separate $27 million settlement in 2025, bringing the total recovery for Hoosick Falls residents to approximately $92 million.

Then came Newburgh. PFOS from firefighting foam (AFFF) used at the Stewart Air National Guard Base seeped into Washington Lake — the city’s primary drinking water reservoir — prompting a state of emergency in 2016. The city was forced to switch to alternative water sources. PFAS contamination remains in Washington Lake and surrounding groundwater to this day, with remediation investigations still ongoing as of 2025.

These are the high-profile cases. But the broader picture is equally serious. State investigations have found that 68 percent of groundwater wells sampled near inactive landfills across New York had PFAS at or above state action levels. Around 50 percent of New York’s public water systems have detected some level of PFAS, with approximately 250 systems — serving an estimated 300,000 people — exceeding the state’s own MCLs of 10 ppt for PFOA and PFOS.

For well owners, the situation is compounded by the fact that New York State does not regulate PFAS in private wells. The state’s drinking water MCLs — which apply only to public water systems — do not extend to private wells. If you are on a private well, testing and treatment are entirely your responsibility.

Arsenic, Radon and Naturally Occurring Contaminants

Beyond PFAS, New York well owners face a significant naturally occurring arsenic risk. The state’s DOH acknowledges that naturally occurring arsenic is commonly found in New York State groundwater, particularly in areas underlain by crystalline bedrock — including much of the Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, and the Southern Tier. Wells drilled into fractured bedrock can dissolve arsenic directly from the surrounding rock. Arsenic is odourless and colourless; it cannot be detected without laboratory testing.

Radon is also a documented concern in New York’s upstate bedrock geology. It is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that dissolves into groundwater from crystalline rock aquifers. The Northeast, including New York, is one of the regions the USGS has identified as higher-risk for radon in well water. Radon poses a health risk primarily when it volatilises from tap water during household use — particularly in showers — and is inhaled. DOH recommends testing for radon if your well draws from bedrock.

The DOH’s free Private Well Risk Mapper tool allows well owners to enter their address and view their specific risks from flooding, agricultural land, porous carbonate bedrock, and arsenic contamination. It is available at health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/private_well_risk.htm — a genuinely useful first step for any New York well owner.

Nitrate, Bacteria and Long Island’s Shallow Aquifer Risk

In agricultural regions of upstate New York — the Southern Tier, the Mohawk Valley, the Finger Lakes — nitrate contamination from fertiliser runoff and livestock waste poses a documented risk, particularly for shallow wells. Nitrate at elevated levels is acutely dangerous for infants under six months of age, causing a condition known as methemoglobinemia — sometimes called blue baby syndrome — that prevents red blood cells from carrying oxygen effectively. State health guidance recommends testing for nitrate annually if your well is in or near an agricultural area.

Long Island presents a distinct contamination profile. Unlike upstate New York, Long Island draws its water from a shallow, glacially deposited aquifer system — the Upper Glacial, Magothy, and Lloyd formations — that is more vulnerable to surface contamination. Nitrates from septic systems and fertilisers, pesticides from historic and ongoing agricultural use, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are primary concerns for Long Island well owners, alongside PFAS. USGS monitoring has detected multiple PFAS compounds in groundwater near decentralised wastewater systems and commercial properties across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Bacteria contamination is a risk statewide. In Rockland County — where a county-level well testing requirement has been in place — 32 percent of private wells tested exceeded the state standard for harmful bacteria, illustrating the scale of a problem that, without systematic testing, goes largely unseen across most of New York State.

Regulatory Situation for New York Well Owners

Private residential wells in New York are not covered by the state’s Safe Drinking Water Act. New York State does not set legally enforceable contaminant standards for private well water — the MCLs it has established for PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane in public water supplies do not formally apply to your well. The DOH uses its public water MCLs (10 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, set in 2020) as guidance when evaluating private well results and recommending action, but this carries no legal force.

It is also worth noting that the Private Well Testing Act — a bill that would require well water testing before property sales — has been introduced in the New York Legislature repeatedly since 2009 but has not yet become law. The most recent version (S3038) was introduced in January 2025. New York currently has no statewide requirement to test private wells at any point — making it one of very few states where well owners have no legal protection whatsoever. Some counties, including Rockland and Westchester, have enacted their own local testing requirements, but these are the exception.

There is meaningful movement in other areas. In March 2026, Governor Hochul launched the New York State Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program in six counties — Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester — covering free PFAS testing and rebates of up to $5,000 for a treatment system, or up to $10,000 to connect to a public water supply, where PFOA or PFOS is found at or above the state guideline of 10 ppt. This is the first programme of its kind in New York and a meaningful step forward for well owners in those counties, though the rest of the state remains unserved.

Check our New York municipal water quality page for city-by-city tap water data, or use our live boil water notice tracker for active advisories across the state.

Known High-Risk Areas in New York

If you live near any of the following locations, well water testing is urgent — not precautionary.

How to Test Your New York Well Water — and What to Do Next

The DOH recommends all private well owners in New York test annually for bacteria, and every three to five years for other contaminants including lead, nitrate, arsenic, and sodium. Given the state’s contamination profile — and the absence of any statewide requirement to test — a one-time PFAS test is also strongly advisable for every well owner, regardless of location. PFAS is colourless, odourless, and tasteless; there is no way to know whether your well is contaminated without a laboratory test.

If you are in one of the six pilot programme counties — Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Suffolk, Ulster, or Westchester — apply for free PFAS testing through the state’s programme at health.ny.gov/PrivateWellPFAS. If PFOA or PFOS is detected at or above 10 ppt, you may be eligible for a rebate of up to $5,000 toward a treatment system or up to $10,000 to connect to a public water supply.

For all other New York well owners, contact your local county health department to find an ELAP-certified laboratory. The DOH maintains a certified lab directory at apps.health.ny.gov. Most county health departments also offer direct bacteria testing at low cost. For PFAS testing, ensure you use a lab with the specialist equipment required to test at parts-per-trillion levels — standard water testing facilities cannot do this.

For filter options, our well water filter guide covers reverse osmosis systems for PFAS and arsenic, activated carbon for radon and VOCs, UV disinfection for bacteria, and whole-house well systems for comprehensive treatment. You can also browse our full water filter solutions page or check your ZIP code for local water quality context.

For other Northeast well water risks, see our pages on North Carolina wells, Pennsylvania wells, and Michigan wells. Return to the private well water directory to find your state.