Dunkirk Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Dunkirk, New York, in Chautauqua County — a Chautauqua County city adjacent to Fredonia and Barcelona on the south shore of Lake Erie in southwest New York — receives its water from the City of Dunkirk Water Department, drawing from Lake Erie through intake facilities on the lake through the southwest New York distribution.

The hard 146.5 mg/L hardness and TDS of 353.4 mg/L reflect the Chautauqua County Lake Erie supply's hard dolomitic character — the Silurian Lockport Dolomite (the same formation that creates Niagara Falls) is highly dolomitic and underlies much of the Lake Erie shoreline, with Devonian Hamilton Group shales contributing modest calcareous minerals (compare Fredonia NY: 144/348 in Chautauqua County comparable; Buffalo NY: 148/358 in Erie County comparable; Dunkirk consistent hard from the same Chautauqua County Lake Erie Silurian Lockport dolomitic supply). The Lake Erie basin at Chautauqua County — Silurian Lockport Dolomite (highly dolomitic — primary hardness contributor), Devonian Hamilton Group (slightly calcareous — secondary contributor), and Quaternary glacial drift (calcareous — TDS contributor).

At 146.5 mg/L with TDS 353, Dunkirk's water is hard — scale builds in appliances and fixtures over months. Quarterly descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 7.3 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Chautauqua County southwest New York industrial corridor and Lake Erie basin contribute to Dunkirk's elevated PFAS readings.