New Jersey Water Quality Report (2025)
Comprehensive analysis of drinking water safety across 563 water systems serving 8.8 million residents
New Jersey’s drinking water quality varies widely by municipality and provider. Using data from EWG’s Tap Water Database, NJDEP compliance reports, and EPA enforcement records (2013-2024), this report benchmarks contaminant detection and utility performance statewide.
Across 2013-2024, testing detected 131 contaminants in New Jersey drinking water. Disinfection byproducts and PFAS “forever chemicals” appear in most systems; many detections are below federal limits but exceed health-protective guidelines.
Key Findings:
- Widespread Contaminants: Disinfection byproducts appear in 88% of systems; PFAS detected in 65% serving 7.5M residents.
- Lead Infrastructure Risk: 135k confirmed lead service lines remain, plus 873k unknown-material lines likely to contain lead based on installation era.
- Violation Concentration: Trenton Water Works logged 31 violation points (2021-2024), highest among systems serving 10k+ people.
- Performance Gap: Large-system quality scores vary by 40+ points; best utilities detect < 20 contaminants, lowest-rated exceed 40.
Most Common Contaminants in New Jersey Drinking Water
Water quality testing from 2013-2024 identified multiple contaminants detected across hundreds of New Jersey water systems. This table shows the 12 most frequently detected contaminants, the number of utilities where each appears, the total population potentially exposed, and whether detected levels exceed environmental health guidelines.
| Contaminant | Utilities Detecting | People Exposed | % of NJ Systems | Above Health Guidelines | Primary Health Concern |
| Total Trihalomethanes | 496 | 8,842,090 | 88% | 492 utilities | Cancer, liver/kidney damage |
| Chloroform | 484 | 8,808,590 | 86% | 414 utilities | Cancer, liver damage |
| Bromodichloromethane | 474 | 8,822,566 | 84% | 467 utilities | Cancer, reproductive effects |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 456 | 8,793,111 | 81% | 447 utilities | Cancer risk |
| PFOA | 364 | 7,534,610 | 65% | 348 utilities | Cancer, immune effects |
| Radium (combined) | 364 | 5,383,689 | 65% | 360 utilities | Cancer risk |
| Nitrate | 356 | 7,051,496 | 63% | 260 utilities | Blue baby syndrome |
| PFOS | 325 | 6,910,712 | 58% | 260 utilities | Thyroid disease, cancer |
| Chromium (hexavalent) | 198 | 8,087,572 | 35% | 161 utilities | Cancer |
| PFHxS | 194 | 5,635,504 | 34% | 194 utilities | Developmental effects |
| Arsenic | 149 | 4,194,538 | 26% | 149 utilities | Cancer, cardiovascular disease |
| PFNA | 141 | 4,241,973 | 25% | 141 utilities | Kidney/liver toxicity |
Data from Environmental Working Group Tap Water Database, 2013-2024. “Above Health Guidelines” refers to detection above EWG health-protective benchmarks, which are stricter than federal legal limits.
Key Insights:
- Disinfection byproducts appear in 88% of New Jersey water systems, with total trihalomethanes detected in 496 of 563 utilities serving 8.8 million residents. These byproducts are created when chlorine used to kill bacteria reacts with organic matter in source water.
- PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminate drinking water for 7.5 million New Jersey residents, with PFOA detected in 364 water systems (65% statewide) at levels above health guidelines, making New Jersey one of the most PFAS-affected states nationally.
- Every contaminant detected above health guidelines in over 25% of systems poses cancer risk, with nine of the 12 most common contaminants linked to various cancers in toxicological studies, though detected levels remain below federal Maximum Contaminant Levels in most cases.
Lead Service Lines in Major New Jersey Municipalities
Lead service lines carry water from street mains to homes and can leach lead into drinking water. New Jersey law requires replacement of all lead service lines by 2031. This table shows confirmed and potential lead infrastructure in municipalities and water systems serving over 40,000 residents.
| Municipality/Water System | County | People Served | Known Lead Lines | Unknown Material Lines | Total Potential Lead Risk | Replacement Status |
| Passaic Valley Water | Multi-county | 800,000 | 12,000 | 25,000 | 37,000 | Ongoing |
| Newark Water | Essex | 294,274 | 18,000 | 5,000 | 23,000 | Completed 2021 |
| Jersey City MUA | Hudson | 262,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 | 35,000 | In progress |
| Middlesex Water | Middlesex | 233,376 | 6,000 | 15,000 | 21,000 | Assessment |
| NJ American – Short Hills | Essex/Morris | 217,230 | 5,000 | 18,000 | 23,000 | Ongoing |
| Trenton Water Works | Mercer | 217,000 | 10,000 | 8,000 | 18,000 | Initial phase |
| Paterson | Passaic | 145,000 | 15,000 | 12,000 | 27,000 | Planning |
| Elizabeth | Union | 128,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 | 18,000 | In progress |
| East Orange Water | Essex | 75,000 | 4,500 | 8,000 | 12,500 | Planning |
| Camden (United Water) | Camden | 46,585 | 7,500 | 12,000 | 19,500 | Planning |
Data from NJDEP Lead Service Line Inventory, December 2024. Unknown material lines likely contain 30-50% lead based on housing age.
Key Insights:
- Jersey City has the highest confirmed lead service line count at 20,000 known lead lines serving 262,000 residents, representing approximately 7.6% of service connections, with replacement efforts ongoing but not yet complete.
- Newark completed replacement of all 23,000 lead service lines by 2021, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey to eliminate lead infrastructure after the 2016-2018 lead crisis that affected schools and homes.
- Unknown material service lines present substantial hidden risk, with 873,000 service lines statewide of undetermined material where utilities cannot verify pipe composition without excavation, and housing age suggests 30-50% likely contain lead.
Large Water Systems Performance Rankings
This analysis evaluates New Jersey’s largest water systems using a proprietary quality score based on violation history, contaminants detected above health guidelines, and exceedances of federal legal limits. Higher scores indicate better performance. Systems serve 25,000+ residents.
| Water System | People Served | Violation Points (2021-24) | Contaminants Above Guidelines | Quality Score (0-100) | Performance Grade |
| Ridgewood Water | 61,700 | 5 | 15 | 87 | A |
| Franklin Twp DPW | 56,300 | 4 | 18 | 85 | A |
| Old Bridge MUA | 67,215 | 4 | 19 | 84 | A- |
| Wayne Township Water | 55,000 | 0 | 21 | 83 | A- |
| NJ American – Raritan | 615,430 | 0 | 22 | 82 | A- |
| Bloomfield Water | 47,315 | 17 | 37 | 58 | C- |
| Nutley Water | 29,500 | 20 | 39 | 54 | D+ |
| Belleville Water | 35,129 | 20 | 40 | 53 | D+ |
| Manchester Utilities | 12,000 | 21 | 38 | 51 | D |
| Trenton Water Works | 217,000 | 31 | 42 | 47 | D |
Quality scores based on weighted formula: EPA violation points (40%), contaminants above health guidelines (35%), federal limit exceedances (25%).
Key Insights:
- Ridgewood Water achieved the highest quality score at 87 points, serving 61,700 residents with only five violation points over three years and 15 contaminants detected above health guidelines, compared to the state average of 28 contaminants above guidelines.
- Performance gap exceeds 40 points between best and worst large systems, with top-rated Ridgewood scoring 87 compared to Trenton Water Works at 47, serving populations ranging from 12,000 to 615,000 residents across both categories.
- Trenton Water Works accumulated 31 violation points from 2021-2024, the highest among systems serving over 10,000 people, primarily for lead/copper rule monitoring failures and Consumer Confidence Report delays affecting 217,000 residents.
Water Systems with Most Compliance Issues
Violation points from EPA enforcement records weight health-based violations more heavily than monitoring or reporting violations. This table identifies the 12 systems with the highest violation point totals from July 2021 through June 2024, indicating persistent compliance challenges.
| Water System | Location | People Served | Violation Points | Primary Violation Types |
| Trenton Water Works | Trenton | 217,000 | 31 | Lead/copper monitoring, CCR reporting |
| Manchester Utilities | Woodland Park | 12,000 | 21 | Monitoring, reporting compliance |
| Belleville Water | Belleville | 35,129 | 20 | Consumer Confidence Reports, monitoring |
| Nutley Water | Nutley | 29,500 | 20 | Treatment technique, monitoring |
| Bloomfield Water | Bloomfield | 47,315 | 17 | Monitoring requirements |
| Ramsey Water | Ramsey | 15,207 | 14 | Water quality monitoring |
| South River Water | South River | 16,000 | 11 | Monitoring, reporting |
| Cedar Grove Water | Cedar Grove | 12,900 | 10 | Treatment technique |
| Livingston Township | Livingston | 27,391 | 9 | Compliance monitoring |
| Rockaway Township | Rockaway | 14,000 | 8 | Monitoring violations |
| Mahwah Water | Mahwah | 26,777 | 0 | No violations |
| Wayne Township | Wayne | 55,000 | 0 | No violations |
Data from EPA ECHO database, July 2021-June 2024. Violation points from EWG analysis weight health-based violations more heavily than procedural issues.
Key Insights:
- Trenton Water Works leads all large systems with 31 violation points serving 217,000 residents, accumulating more than twice the violation points of the second-highest system (Manchester Utilities at 21 points) over the three-year measurement period.
- Six of the 10 highest-violation systems serve Essex County municipalities, with Belleville, Nutley, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, and Livingston all appearing in the top ten, suggesting regional challenges with compliance infrastructure or resource constraints.
- Systems serving over 50,000 residents generally show better compliance, with Wayne Township (55,000) and Mahwah (26,777) recording zero violation points, while 8 of 10 highest-violation systems serve populations under 50,000 residents.
Further Reading & Next Steps
These statewide statistics provide general benchmarks, but drinking water quality varies by municipality, water system, and individual home plumbing. Your specific water quality depends on your utility’s source water, treatment processes, and your home’s internal plumbing.
Explore Related Information:
Review your water system’s annual Consumer Confidence Report for contaminant levels specific to your utility at.
Check if your home has lead service lines using the .
Understand which contaminants require point-of-use filtration versus whole-home treatment systems through
Get Professional Assessment:
For homeowners concerned about water quality, C and C Air and Heat provides plumbing assessments including lead service line identification and water quality evaluations.
Contact us at (732) 707-2968 for expert guidance on protecting your home’s water quality.
About This Analysis
This water quality report was compiled by C & C Air and Heat to provide comprehensive drinking water data for New Jersey residents, journalists, researchers, and policymakers. All data sources are publicly available and may be cited with attribution.
Sources
- Environmental Working Group: EWG’s Tap Water Database: New Jersey (563 utilities, 2013-2024 testing data) –
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Lead Service Line Inventory (December 2024 update) –
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Annual Compliance Report on Public Water Systems (2024) –
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database (July 2021-June 2024 violation records) –
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) federal reporting database
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Drinking Water Watch public database –
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