Rochester’s water filtration plant wins quality award for 20th straight year

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — The Hemlock Filtration Plant, which supplies Rochester with drinking water, has won a water quality award for the 20th straight year, the city announced on Tuesday.

Rochester’s water filtration plant met or exceeded all federal and state quality standards in 2021, receiving an award from an American Water Works Association / Environmental Protection Agency partnership. The partnership aims to help filtration plants, including Hemlock, to exceed water standards.

Hemlock Filtration Plant is the provider for the City of Rochester Water Bureau, which serves 210,000 people and many businesses. In 2013, Rochester ranked the best tasting water in the state, after the state’s Department of Health held a blind taste test.

Rochester’s 2021 Water Quality Report shows that the city’s water has no lead, radium, or other toxic chemicals. The report also shows that the city’s water has the optimal amount of fluoride for dental protection and an optimal pH level.

You can read the city’s water quality report and learn about the metrics here.

Rochester’s water comes from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes, is treated at the filtration plant, and then comes into the city through underground tunnels. The Hemlock Water Filtration Plant has the capacity to filter 48 million gallons per day.