# Elizabeth, NJ — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Elizabeth, NJ public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/nj/elizabeth/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/nj/elizabeth/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 20
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 15
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloramine | Disinfectants | 1.1 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MRDLG) | Within the limit |
| Bromate | Disinfection byproducts | 7 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 2 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 0.02 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0.2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.01 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.3 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Iron | Metals | 0.02 mg/L (Range) | Range Detected | 0.3 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 2 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Manganese | Metals | 0.02 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0.05 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 39 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 50 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 2.1 ng/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 3.9 ng/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 1.8 ng/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 7 ng/L (Range) | Range Detected | 14 ng/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 5 ng/L (Highest single sample) | System-wide | 13 ng/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 143 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 250 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.2 mg/L (Running annual avg) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.4 NTU (Highest single sample) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 1 pCi/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 pCi/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| 1,2,3-TCP | VOCs & pesticides | 0.02 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0.03 ug/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chloramine** — A longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. Holds disinfection further into the pipe network, but is regulated under the same residual-disinfectant cap as chlorine.
- **Bromate** — A disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. Classified as a probable human carcinogen; the EPA sets a strict maximum contaminant level.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Aluminum** — A common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels can discolor water.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Iron** — A naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; causes rusty color, staining, and metallic taste.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Manganese** — A naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. No enforceable federal limit; high levels stain fixtures and laundry and can affect taste, with a health advisory for infants.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Has no standalone limit but is part of the EPA PFAS Hazard Index that limits PFAS in combination.
- **Perfluorohexanoic acid** — Perfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and widely detected.
- **Perfluoropentanoic acid** — Perfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **PFOA** — Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **PFOS** — Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **TOC** — Total organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. Not harmful itself, but it is the raw material that forms disinfection byproducts; removal is a treatment requirement.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.
- **Combined Radium** — Combined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases the risk of bone cancer.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._