We read 12 results from Fort Drum’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 4 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 34,000 people · Water system ID NY2212214 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenicaverage · range ND to 0.1 · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.08 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal20x the health goal |
| PFOA (a PFAS)average · range ND to 5.18 · listed as a violation in the report · Fort Drum wells/entry points · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.52 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 10 ppt (New York) now; 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal217x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)average · range ND to 6.34 · listed as a violation in the report · Fort Drum wells/entry points · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.8 ppt | 1 ppt | 10 ppt (New York) now; 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal1.8x the health goal |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)average · range 0.05 to 1.64 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.63 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Bariumaverage · range 0.1 to 0.14 · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.12 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Copper90th percentile of 30 homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.07 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range ND to 30.2 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 5 | 24.9 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 2.2 to 73 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 5 | 38.2 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideaverage · range 0.44 to 1.15 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.71 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of 30 homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.2 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)average · range ND to 1 · listed as a violation in the report · Treated water · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.49 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| PFHxS (a PFAS)average · range ND to 15.5 · listed as a violation in the report · Fort Drum wells/entry points · 2025 report, page 6 | 5.43 ppt | None set | 10 ppt from 2029 | Below the legal limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Fort Drum’s water between Mar 2024 and Nov 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFHxS5 pptFound in 2 of 6 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS), PFOS (a PFAS)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Radium and uranium
Found: Radium (combined 226 + 228)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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