Ithaca, NY Water Quality
Tompkins County. Find your water provider, locate your Consumer Confidence Report, and understand local water in Ithaca.
Your provider
Who provides Ithaca's water
City of Ithaca (Six Mile Creek) and the Bolton Point system (Cayuga Lake).
Ithaca is served partly by the City of Ithaca's Six Mile Creek reservoir and partly by the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (Bolton Point) drawing from Cayuga Lake.
One address can fall within more than one system — always confirm on a recent bill.
Local context
Ithaca water-quality notes
Cornell University and the surrounding area draw on these supplies; both are treated surface water. Confirm whether your address is on the city or Bolton Point system.
This is general local context, not an address-level test result. Confirm current conditions in your provider's latest Consumer Confidence Report.
Find your report
How to find your Ithaca water report
- Check a recent water bill for your system or district name.
- Request that provider's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), or use the official tools below.
- On a private well? See our private well testing guide — a CCR won't apply.
Improve your water
Common Ithaca home water steps
Understand your report
Start with how to read a water quality report, then your provider's CCR.
Treat the right problem
Use our treatment decision matrix to match a concern to filtration, softening, or reverse osmosis.
Lead & older homes
If your home predates 1986, read lead and copper in home water.
Schools & facilities
New York public schools must test for lead — see the NY school lead testing overview.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is the water provider in Ithaca, NY?
City of Ithaca (Six Mile Creek) and the Bolton Point system (Cayuga Lake). Confirm the system serving your exact address on a recent water bill, since Tompkins County can have more than one provider.
How do I find the water quality report for Ithaca?
Ask your provider for its most recent annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), or use the NYS Department of Health and EPA lookup tools linked below. Private wells are not covered by a CCR.
Does this page list local lead or contaminant test results?
No. We do not publish address-level test values. The numbers that apply to your home come from your provider's official CCR and, for wells, your own lab test.
Read the fine print
What a water report won't tell you
When you pull your system's Consumer Confidence Report, a few things people ask about are not in it and should be confirmed directly:
- Your tap specifically. A system-wide report can meet every standard while an individual older home has an elevated lead result — lead usually comes from the service line or home plumbing, not the system. Use a certified tap test to be sure.
- Water hardness and taste/odor/staining are often not standardized in the report; ask your utility or use a home test. See our hard-water guide.
- Private wells get no report at all — test through an ELAP-approved lab. See our well testing guide.
For the full list of community water systems, population served, and federal compliance records covering Ithaca, see the Tompkins County water systems table.
Authoritative resources
Official & academic water resources
For primary data and research beyond this guide, these New York agencies and universities are the authoritative sources:
Nearby: Lansing · Dryden · Trumansburg · All of Tompkins County
NY Water Quality Guide is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with any government agency or utility. This page describes Ithaca's general water source and how to find official reports; it does not publish address-level test results. Confirm current conditions in your provider's latest Consumer Confidence Report or with the NYS Department of Health.
Last reviewed: July 2026