waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Oswego County Water Quality

Oswego County, New York

Water Grade

D

Water Score

45.2

Violations

18

State Rank

#22

of 57 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

45.2/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

18

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

23.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Oswego County

Water Verdict

Oswego County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 45.2 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Oswego County has recorded 18 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 23.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Oswego County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 18 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

Oswego County has better water quality than the average county in New York. Its water score is 5.1 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

22

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.8K

5,845 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Other
  • Nutrient

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

10.2Kcfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

146%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

OSWEGO RIVER AT LOCK 7, OSWEGO NY

USGS site
04249000
Drainage area
5,100 sq mi
Long-term mean
6,979 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 Oswego County, New York?
Oswego County, New York has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 45.2/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 18 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 Oswego County?
Oswego County has 18 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 Oswego County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,845 measurements from 22 monitoring sites in Oswego County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Other, Nutrient. 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 Oswego County right now?
Oswego County's primary USGS streamgage on the OSWEGO RIVER is currently reading 10,200 cubic feet per second — 146% of the long-term mean of 6,979.49 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 Oswego County water compare to the New York average?
Oswego County's SDWIS water quality score of 45.2/100 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 Oswego County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Oswego County has a water quality grade of D (45.2/100). 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 Oswego County have so many water violations?
Oswego County has 18 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 Oswego County rank for water quality in New York?
Oswego County ranks #22 out of 57 counties in New York by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 45.2/100, 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

Rensselaer County

New York

D

43.5

Water score

Ulster County

New York

D

47.0

Water score

Allegany County

New York

D

43.1

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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