Riverhead Water District
EPA ID: NY5103705 · 35,000 people served · 10 ZIP codes
Riverhead Water District carries 2 open EPA violations that remain unresolved in the federal system — approximately 35,000 people fall within its service area.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Stable · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 10 (2023) to 3 (2024). Violation counts have remained relatively steady.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Riverhead Water District Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The Riverhead Water District serves a community with a median household income of $135,000 and an estimated 70,099 residents across its service area. Approximately 50% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Riverhead Water District's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 1% of homes in Suffolk County, New York rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 80th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites. Groundwater sources near contaminated sites may face elevated risk from industrial chemicals.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Riverhead Water District compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Arsenic at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.01 mg/L.
Chloroform at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.08 mg/L.
Contaminant 2049 at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Contaminant 2428 at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 1 DBP Rule at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 46 detections recorded. 13 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 3 exceed state limits.
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in New York
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Riverhead Water District (EPA ID: NY5103705) is a community water system in New York that serves approximately 35,000 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 10 ZIP codes across 10 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: C (63/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2024 | Chloroform | Health-based | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2023 | Arsenic | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2023 | Copper | Health-based | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Inorganic | 1 | No |
| Copper | Inorganic | 1 | Yes |
| Contaminant 2049 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
| Contaminant 2428 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
| Chloroform | Disinfection Byproducts | 1 | Yes |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11901 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 7 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 3 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
- 11792 — Wading River
- 11901 — Riverhead
- 11931 — Aquebogue
- 11933 — Calverton
- 11947 — Jamesport
- 11948 — Laurel
- 11949 — Manorville
- 11970 — South Jamesport
- 11977 — Westhampton
- 11978 — Westhampton Beach
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Riverhead Water District (NY5103705) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riverhead Water District water safe to drink?
Riverhead Water District has recorded 2 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does Riverhead Water District serve?
Riverhead Water District serves approximately 35,000 people across 10 ZIP codes in New York.
Where does Riverhead Water District get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Riverhead Water District Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Riverhead Water District Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
The source water assessment has rated most of the wells as having a high susceptibility to industrial solvents, pesticides and nitrates and microbial contamination. The elevated susceptibility ratings are due primarily to the various land uses and their related point sources of contamination in the assessment area.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Riverhead Water District Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by Riverhead Water District.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from Riverhead Water District Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Federal compliance violations on record
These entries are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR violations section. EPA defines four broad violation categories: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Treatment Technique (TT), Monitoring & Reporting (M&R), and Public Notification (PN).
-
MCL · Iron08/14/24
Iron level of 1.0 mg/L exceeded the MCL of 3 mg/L.
Violations record from Riverhead Water District Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Riverhead Water District (EPA ID: NY5103705) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.