Queens
Queens, NY water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Queens is one of the largest cities in the United States and the 3rd-largest in New York, home to roughly 2,272,771 residents. Queens's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve New York: Catskill/Delaware watersheds, Great Lakes, and aquifers.
As elsewhere in New York, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. NYC's protected upstate watershed delivers unfiltered water, but upstate systems face PFAS (notably Hoosick Falls) and aging mains.
New York reuses an estimated 3% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Queens tracks abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the New York profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Queens below.
At a glance
- Population ~2,272,771 (3rd-largest in New York)
- Primary sources: Catskill/Delaware watersheds, Great Lakes, and aquifers
- Drought: abnormally dry to moderate conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of New York in severe+ drought (Moderate (D1) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Queens?
Queens is served by community water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Statewide, 16.2% of New York's systems have a recent health-based violation. Check your provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local results.
Where does Queens get its water?
Queens draws from the same regional sources that serve New York: Catskill/Delaware watersheds, Great Lakes, aquifers.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
Explore