Syracuse City

The Annual Municipal Water Quality Statement helps the Syracuse Water Department provide customers with essential information about their water system, quality standards, and important issues affecting your water supply. This report follows guidelines from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH).

The Syracuse Water Division (SWD) supplies water to the entire City of Syracuse and through wholesale agreements, portions of towns including Dewitt, Onondaga, Geddes, Camillus, Salina, and the villages of Skaneateles, Jordan and Elbridge. If you're unsure about your water source, contact the provider listed on your water bill.

All water, including bottled water, naturally contains small amounts of some contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or the Onondaga County Health Department at 315-435-6600.

Certain populations may be more vulnerable to waterborne pathogens, including:

• People undergoing cancer chemotherapy
• Organ transplant recipients
• People with HIV/AIDS or immune disorders
• Some elderly individuals
• Infants

These individuals should seek medical advice about their drinking water.

Municipal water sources include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or underground, it dissolves natural minerals and can pick up substances from animal presence or human activity. Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial contaminants from sewage treatment, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals, occurring naturally or from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, farming, or mining
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, and waste systems
• Radioactive contaminants, either naturally occurring or from oil/gas production and mining

EPA and NYSDOH regulations limit contaminant amounts in public water to ensure safety. FDA regulations establish similar limits for bottled water. If you have comments about this report or questions about your water system, contact the Syracuse Water Department at 315-448-8340, through the City's website at http://www.syrgov.net, or by mail at 101 North Beach Street, Syracuse, New York 13210.

SYRACUSE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

For 124 years, Skaneateles Lake has been Syracuse's primary water source. Located about 20 miles southwest of the City, this pristine "Finger Lake" has been utilized since 1894. The lake is approximately 15 miles long, 1 mile wide, with a maximum depth of 300 feet, a relatively small watershed of 59 square miles, and a water surface area of 13.6 square miles.

In 2017, an average of 80.02 million gallons per day (MGD) was released from Skaneateles Lake to maintain lake levels and creek flow. The exceptional water quality allows Syracuse to use the lake without filtration treatment—one of the few large surface water supplies in the country permitted to operate unfiltered.

This high water quality results from:

• The lake's unique physical characteristics
• Prohibition of sewage discharges into watershed surface waters
• Syracuse's comprehensive watershed protection program
• Careful stewardship by watershed residents and landowners

Since the 1970s, the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB) has maintained a connection between Lake Ontario and Syracuse, allowing the City to supplement its Skaneateles Lake supply during droughts, emergencies, or high-demand periods. The northern areas of the city may occasionally receive Lake Ontario water.

The Syracuse water system comprises over 500 miles of pipelines, with storage in Forest and Westcott Reservoirs, two standpipes, and three tanks including Morningside Reservoir. In 2017, the system handled 12,920.822 million gallons (35.3399 MGD), with 12,020.070 million gallons from Skaneateles Lake and 32.830 million gallons from Lake Ontario. Customers were billed for 5,876.713 million gallons, with the remainder used for municipal services, firefighting, and system maintenance.

Syracuse continues to maintain some of New York State's lowest water rates at $2.91 per 100 cubic feet for city residents and $4.37 for non-city customers. The city is upgrading to a radio read system for water meters—contact 315-448-8357 to schedule your mandatory upgrade appointment if needed.

1. Do I need to have my water service transferred into my name? Generally, no. Bills are typically sent to "Water Customer" rather than a specific individual, and residential water service usually remains active between occupants. However, if you find your water is off after moving in, contact the Water Billing Department to schedule service activation.
2. Has the previous owner requested a final bill? It's advisable to verify with the Water Billing Department whether the previous owner has requested a final water bill. Staff can inform you about amounts billed to the previous owner and payment status. If a final bill hasn't been requested, they'll explain the process for generating one.
3. How can I set up automatic payments from my checking account? Complete the Water Payment Enrollment form and mail it with a voided check to City of Royal Oak Water Billing Department, P.O. Box 64, Royal Oak, MI 48068-0064, or email scans of both documents to Water Billing.