Water tanks help deliver drinking water to millions of New York City residents. In buildings with more than six floors, pumps push water to rooftop tanks where the water is stored until needed.
Owners of buildings that use tanks to store or pressurize the building’s drinking water must have the tanks inspected at least once per year. They must ensure that the water tank inspector submits the results of those inspections to the Health Department by January 15 of the next calendar year.
Water tanks must be inspected by a qualified inspector, who then submits the results to the Health Department. To be qualified, an inspector must meet one of the following conditions:
Inspectors can submit reports online or by mail. Reports submitted by mail must be on one of the official forms provided below.
To submit a report online, inspectors must first register by clicking on the link below and checking the selection box next to “Water Tank Inspection Reporting”.
To submit an inspection report by mail, complete the following form electronically (handwritten forms will not be accepted).
Print out the completed form and mail it to:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Office of Building Water System Oversight
Water Tank Inspection Reporting
42-09 28th Street, CN-56
Long Island City, NY 11101-4132
Building owners must make residents aware of their rights to review inspection results by posting notification signs in the building with contact information. Building owners must keep inspection results and water quality test results for at least five years.
You can search for a building’s water inspection results online by using either its address or its building identification number (BIN).
For more information, call 311.