Where does your water come from? Tracking Rochester's water supply
After Tuesday's discovery of a dead person in the Highland Park Reservoir, the city issued a boil water advisory for several neighborhoods in and around downtown Rochester.
Do you know which reservoirs supply water to your home or business in Rochester?
The city's water is treated at a filtration plant in Hemlock, Livingston County, then travels through one of three reservoirs, located in Highland Park, Cobbs Hill Park and the town of Rush, which store the bulk of the drinking water used by city residents.
The Highland Park Reservoir, which is the smallest, serves downtown Rochester and an area extending west toward Interstate 390, north to Lexington Avenue and south through part of the 19th Ward and Plymouth-Exchange, according to a water supply map provided by the city of Rochester.
Areas surrounding the University of Rochester and Strong Memorial Hospital get their water from the Rush Reservoir, extending south along I-390 and east as far as Interstate 590.
The Cobbs Hill Reservoir's coverage area is north and east of downtown, extending south a bit beyond Interstate 490, east to I-590 and north to State Route 104.
TELL US: What questions do you have about Rochester's drinking water system? We want to know.
What if I live outside of the city of Rochester NY? Where does my water coming from?
In Monroe County, Lake Ontario supplies water to Greece, Gates, Chili, Hamlin, Clarkson, Sweden, Parma, Ogden, Riga, Wheatland, Irondequoit, Webster, most of Penfield and Perinton and part of Brighton, according to Monroe County Water Authority's supply area map.
Part of the city of Rochester, Brighton, Henrietta, Rush and Mendon's water is derived from Hemlock Lake.
And both Lake Ontario and Hemlock Lake provide water to parts of the city of Rochester, Brighton, Penfield, Mendon, Perinton and most of Pittsford.
The city states its water is also derived from Canadice Lake, which is located about 30 miles south of Rochester.
Lake Ontario and Hemlock Lake also supply water for some municipalities in Orleans, Genesee and Wayne counties.
See the county water map below:
Who is currently under a boil water advisory in Rochester NY?
People who live in Rochester neighborhoods served by the Highland Park Reservoir were told by the city and the Monroe County Department of Public Health to boil their tap water before using it after a body was discovered in the reservoir Tuesday.
As soon as the body was spotted in the reservoir, the reservoir was immediately bypassed, City of Rochester's commissioner of environmental services Richard Perrin said.
The Highland Park Reservoir will not be put into service again until it is drained and cleaned, which is expected to take roughly eight weeks, authorities said.
The Monroe County Department of Health has issued a Boil Water Notice for parts of the City of Rochester. Visit https://t.co/djM1t99PKA For more information, updates, and to see if you are in the Boil Water Notice area. pic.twitter.com/49YNRji4xO
— City of Rochester NY (@CityRochesterNY) March 19, 2024
Here's which neighborhoods are affected:
Genesee River to Flint Street
Flint Street to Genesee Street
Genesee Street to Arnett Boulevard
Arnett Boulevard to Westfield Street
Westfield Street to Chili Avenue
Chili Avenue to Lee Road
Lee Road to Lexington Avenue
Lexington Avenue to Genesee River
Genesee River to Inner Loop
Inner Loop to University Avenue
University Avenue to North/South Goodman Street
South Goodman Street to Linden Street
Linden Street to Mount Hope Avenue
Mount Hope Avenue to McLean Street
McLean Street to Genesee River
Boil water advisory: Is it safe to shower under a boil water advisory? Answers to your boil water notice questions
Includes reporting from Democrat and Chronicle reporters Victoria Freile and Marcia Greenwood.
Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Where does your water come from? Tracking Rochester NY water supply