Kingston (city) Water District
EPA ID: NY5503374 · 24,000 people served · 2 ZIP codes
Not yet resolved: 15 EPA violations at Kingston (city) Water District, affecting about 24,000 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 10 (2024) to 4 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Kingston (city) Water District Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade F
Service Area Demographics
The Kingston (city) Water District serves a community with a median household income of $67,426 and an estimated 35,058 residents across its service area. Approximately 84% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Kingston (city) Water District's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 1% of homes in Ulster 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 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Kingston (city) Water District compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.08 mg/L. Bladder & rectal cancer risk; reproductive concerns. Consider granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 7 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Barium at 6 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 2 mg/L.
Stage 1 DBP Rule at 3 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Surface Water Treatment Rule at 2 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. 2 detections recorded. 2 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) was detected in this water system. granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration can reduce exposure.
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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
Kingston (city) Water District (EPA ID: NY5503374) is a community water system in New York that serves approximately 24,000 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 2 ZIP codes across 1 community.
Average Home Safety Score: F (26/100)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2025 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 14, 2025 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 9, 2025 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2025 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2025 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2025 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| December 18, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| November 30, 2024 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| October 13, 2024 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| October 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| June 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| March 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| March 1, 2024 | Unknown | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| February 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Contaminant 2806 | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| August 1, 2023 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 7 | No |
| Barium | Inorganic | 6 | Yes |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 3 | Yes |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 2 | No |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | No |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | No |
| Contaminant 1045 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
| Contaminant 2049 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
| Contaminant 2806 | Other Violation | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
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: 1 ZIP code confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 1 additional ZIP inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Kingston (city) Water District (NY5503374) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingston (city) Water District water safe to drink?
Kingston (city) Water District has recorded 7 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 Kingston (city) Water District serve?
Kingston (city) Water District serves approximately 24,000 people across 2 ZIP codes in New York.
Where does Kingston (city) Water District get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
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 Kingston Water Department 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: Kingston Water Department 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 NYS DOH conducted source water assessments for Cooper Lake and our emergency sources (Reservoirs 1, 2, and 4). These assessments evaluate the possible and actual threats to our sources and, although it includes a susceptibility rating which estimates the risk posed by each potential source of contamination, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is, or will become contaminated. The NYS DOH has found that Cooper Lake contains no discrete potential contaminant sources, and the land cover contaminant prevalence ratings are low. The NYS DOH has not conducted a source water assessment for the Mink Hollow stream which is our principal source of supply.
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.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Kingston Water Department 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 →
The Water Board is actively looking to obtain grant funding to assist property owners with the cost of replacing lead services.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
Kingston Water Department
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
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.
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.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- The Department reached final completion on the Cooper Lake Dam rehabilitation project.
- The Department published the lead service line inventory in October 2024.
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
Kingston (city) Water District (EPA ID: NY5503374) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.