Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in New York City, NY: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2017 is still open for the New York City water system, and its latest lead result (10.0 ppb) was higher than 96% of similar systems’, though under the 15 ppb action level. Missed trash pickups, bulk items and most city service questions go to one number, 311.
I’m new in town
What to set up in New York City, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in New York City.
Power comes from Con Edison
Con Edison (Consolidated Edison Co. of New York), an investor-owned utility, serves 98.6% of New York City residents. Its homes paid an average of 36.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $137 a month (its average across New York State, for customers on its standard service). New York State lets you buy power from another supplier; 10% of Con Edison’s home customers do, and Con Edison still delivers it. The other 1.4% of residents, on the Rockaway peninsula, are in PSEG Long Island’s territory on the same map.
Start or move service: coned.com · (800) 752-6633
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from New York City water system
The New York City water system supplies almost all of New York City. It draws surface water and serves 8,271,000 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 82% of the 27 systems serving more than 1,000,000 people. 1 older violation is still open, since 2017: a surface water treatment requirement (Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2024, was 10.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 12.0 ppb. That’s higher than 96% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NY7003493.
7 home internet providers serve New York City
99% of 811,953 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 81% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 95% | 2,300/2,300 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 64% | 1,000/35 |
| Optimum | Cable, Fiber | 33% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Astound Broadband | Cable, Fiber | 8% | 1,500/50 |
| Starry | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 8% | 300/100 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 63% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in New York City
Questions go to 311 or the Department of Sanitation. Sites people bring things to are below.
Sanitation sites mapped in the city
- Household Special Waste Drop-Off Site · 10 am–5 pm (days not listed) · last edited 2021 · map
- DSNY - Brooklyn North · last edited 2023 · map
- East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station · 1740 York Avenue, 10128 · last edited 2024 · map
- Marine Transfer Station · New York, NY · last edited 2026 · map
Facilities run by DSNY on OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Private construction-waste and commercial transfer stations in the city are left out.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
New York City Public Schools runs every public school in the five boroughs: 1,532 schools in 32 community school districts (NCES 2024–25). Which school your child attends depends on your address and grade. The city’s school finder and enrollment: schools.nyc.gov.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
City services and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
201 ZIP codes, by borough
ZIP codes where New York City residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| Mail area | Home ZIPs | Residents | ZIP prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 59 | 19% | 100xx, 101xx, 102xx |
| The Bronx | 25 | 17% | 104xx |
| Brooklyn | 38 | 31% | 112xx |
| Queens | 65 | 27% | 110xx, 111xx, 113xx, 114xx, 116xx |
| Staten Island | 12 | 6% | 103xx |
201 residential ZIP codes in all, none with more than 1% of the city; 2 (10803, 10550) belong mostly to neighboring towns and hold a few city homes. Grouped by the post office’s three-digit prefix, which follows the boroughs closely but not exactly.
89 more city ZIPs are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in New York City
Who supplies New York City’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The New York City water system (EPA ID NY7003493). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 82% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 10.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in New York City?
Con Edison (Consolidated Edison Co. of New York), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 36.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve New York City?
Verizon, Spectrum, Optimum, Astound Broadband, Starry, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in New York City?
201 residential ZIP codes across the five boroughs. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is New York City in?
New York City Public Schools, which runs every public school in the five boroughs. The school depends on your address and grade.
How do I register to vote in New York City?
In New York State you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Board of Elections in the City of New York (borough offices). Check your registration at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.