waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Cortland County Water Quality

Cortland County, New York

Water Grade

C

Water Score

51.4

Violations

5

State Rank

#15

of 57 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

51.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

14.3%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Cortland County

Water Verdict

Cortland County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 51.4 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Cortland County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 14.3 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Cortland County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 5 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Cortland County has better water quality than the average county in New York. Its water score is 11.3 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

9

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.2K

1,187 total readings

Most Measured

  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Organics, Other
  • PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

687cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

133%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

TIOUGHNIOGA RIVER AT CORTLAND NY

USGS site
01509000
Drainage area
292 sq mi
Long-term mean
517 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Cortland County, New York?
Cortland County, New York has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 51.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Cortland County?
Cortland County has 5 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Cortland County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,187 measurements from 9 monitoring sites in Cortland County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Organics, Pesticide, Organics, Other, PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Cortland County right now?
Cortland County's primary USGS streamgage on the TIOUGHNIOGA RIVER is currently reading 687 cubic feet per second — 133% of the long-term mean of 517.45 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Cortland County water compare to the New York average?
Cortland County's SDWIS water quality score of 51.4/100 is higher than the New York state average of 40.1. The average water quality grade across New York is D, based on data from 57 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Cortland County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Cortland County has a water quality grade of C (51.4/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Does Cortland County have clean drinking water?
Cortland County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 51.4/100 and grade C, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Cortland County rank for water quality in New York?
Cortland County ranks #15 out of 57 counties in New York by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 51.4/100, it falls in the top third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Oneida County

New York

C

51.0

Water score

Warren County

New York

C

52.0

Water score

Tioga County

New York

D

50.3

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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