New Yorkers use tap water for more than just staying hydrated. Yes, we drink the water but we also use it for cooking, cleaning, showering, bathing & everything in between.
We New Yorkers take pride in our tap water, but that simply comes from a comparison to our neighbors in the tri-state. We don’t actually know how clean New York tap water really is but we do see it’s moderately clear, tastes fine.. sort of.. & smells like, well, nothing. New York City tap water too, in particular, has its own unique story.
Where is NYC Tap Water Sourced?
Many people in New York City don’t know where their tap water is sourced. Most of the tap water comes from upstate in the Catskill Delaware & Croton watersheds 125 miles away. These two watersheds provide about 90% of New York City’s water supply.
These water systems tap into more than a dozen reservoirs and lakes around these areas. The Pepacton Reservoir in Delaware County is the largest, holding more than 140 billion gallons of water. The second-largest is the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, which contains more than 125 billion gallons.
Thanks to the tireless efforts by police, illegal dumping is strictly enforced, which helps protect the conduits that bring the water to the city. Water from these large lakes and reservoirs is brought to New York City through the New Croton, Delaware, and Catskill Aqueducts and is then housed in the Kensico and Hillview reservoir in Westchester County. From there, our tap water flows into the five boroughs.
How Clean is the Tap Water?
New York City tap water has famously earned the title of being the “champagne of water”. However, questions about its cleanliness still linger.
NYC is one of five major U.S. cities that doesn’t require a water filtration system for tap water. With that said, it does undergo more than 600,000 tests per year and is tested for more than 250 variables and pollutants.
Curious to know the results? They might just surprise you…
Here’s The Kicker.
Even with all of these tests being done chemicals are still being added to the water to disinfect it for the distribution stage.
NYC’s water is treated with the following: chlorine, orthophosphate & UV-light. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) also adds food grade phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, and fluoride before sending it into distribution as well.
It is important to note that New York City has very old infrastructure too. While the water may be “potable” before the distribution stage, if the pipes that distribute the water to your facilities leach lead, for example, it will just end up in your drinking water regardless.
Furthermore, microplastics are proving to be an increasingly problematic issue as well. It is estimated that plastic is being ingested by all of us at the rate of one credit card a week!
A new study found we are eating 260 grams of plastic every year, the equivalent weight of 52 credit cards.
So Where Does That Leave Us?
For a system that moves over a billion gallons of water every day, some regulation must be in place, right? If you said yes, you’d be correct.
In 2018, the city put more than $1 billion towards an initiative to make drinking water as safe and clean as possible. Part of the budget (some $200 million) went to the treatment and protection of our water source from farm pollution and septic system waste.
For those of you that just aren’t sure about the cleanliness of your tap water, Hydr8 has you covered of course.
Water Filtration & Purification Made Easy
When it comes to your drinking water, you shouldn’t be questioning its cleanliness and where it comes from. That’s why many people turn to in-home or in-office filtration and purification systems. These systems are our specialty. We are proud to share knowledge of our systems with NYC and our neighbors.
Our purification technology filters out sediments, pharmaceuticals, bacteria, viruses & gives the water an oxygen boost for a better-tasting solution than what you might get from the tap.
What makes our systems so unique is that they don’t use those big 5-gallon jugs, but rather hook up directly to your primary water source for an unlimited supply.
We use the very same tap water that’s flowing to you 125 miles away and strip it down at the microbiological level to make sure you are only drinking H’s & O’s. Furthermore, the only time you have to see us is when we activate your hydration station and when we change your filter once a year.
So, while NY tap water might be moderately okay, HYDR8 can make it great! Give one of our hydration stations a test-run today, we offer an 8-Day Free-Trial for anyone new! Contact us at (718) 313-0113 or input your info below.
