waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Genesee County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Genesee County, New York.

Water grade

F

Water score

40.6

State rank

#26

of 57

Health violations

14

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

4

1,264 recent measurements

Live streamflow

134%

TONAWANDA CREEK AT BATAVIA NY

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Genesee County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 40.6 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

14

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

134% of mean

TONAWANDA CREEK AT BATAVIA NY

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

4

1,264 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

40.6/100

Health violations

14

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

31.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Genesee County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Genesee County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 40.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 14 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:00:00.000-05:00) puts TONAWANDA CREEK at 297.0 cfs — flowing above its historical average at 134% of mean. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Genesee County has limited coverage with 4 active monitoring sites with 1,264 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include organics, pesticide and organics, other. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Genesee County

Water Verdict

Genesee County, New York receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 40.6 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 171 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was running above its historical mean at 134.4%.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Genesee County, New York show 14 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 31.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues. For independent context, 1,264 water-quality monitoring results have been recorded across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance in Genesee County is rated Grade F, reflecting significant health-based violations in the recent reporting period. Genesee County's drinking-water compliance score is 40.6 out of 100. The violation rate for Genesee County is 31.5 per 100,000 people served. An NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter is recommended for drinking and cooking water. Check the Consumer Confidence Report from your utility to identify the specific contaminants and required corrective actions — utilities are legally required to notify customers of violations. There are 4 active water-quality monitoring sites in Genesee County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the TONAWANDA CREEK gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Genesee County has water quality close to the average county in New York. Its water score is within 0.5 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of New York as a whole.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Genesee County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Genesee County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Genesee County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Genesee County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NY)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in New York

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

4

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.3K

1,264 total readings

Most Measured

  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Organics, Other
  • Physical

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

297cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

134%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

TONAWANDA CREEK AT BATAVIA NY

USGS site
04217000
Drainage area
171 sq mi
Long-term mean
221 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Genesee County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Genesee County, New York?
Genesee County, New York has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 40.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 14 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Genesee County?
Genesee County has 14 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 Genesee County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,264 measurements from 4 monitoring sites in Genesee County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Organics, Pesticide, Organics, Other, Physical. 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 Genesee County right now?
Genesee County's primary USGS streamgage on the TONAWANDA CREEK has a pipeline snapshot of 297 cubic feet per second — 134% of the long-term mean of 221.02 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Genesee County water compare to the New York average?
Genesee County's SDWIS water quality score of 40.6/100 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 Genesee County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Genesee County has a water quality grade of F (40.6/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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).
Why does Genesee County have so many water violations?
Genesee County has 14 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Genesee County rank for water quality in New York?
Genesee County ranks #26 out of 57 counties in New York by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 40.6/100, it falls in the middle 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

Wayne County

New York

F

40.5

Water score

Otsego County

New York

F

41.2

Water score

Dutchess County

New York

F

39.8

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Explore more data for Genesee County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score