Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Newark, NJ tap water
14 contaminants were measured in the Newark, NJ water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 14
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- NJ
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Newark, NJ
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.3×)below national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Newark, NJ's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 1 source.
Source
- PEQUANNOCK SUPPLY
Treatment
- PEQUANNOCK WATER TREATMENT PLANT
- WQP TP2/CEDAR GROVE RESERVOIR, VALLEY RD
- WQP TP 1/ LITTLE FALLS BYPASS
Distribution
Also buys water from N.J.D.W.S.C. - WANAQUE NORTH.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
2 contaminants historically over EPA limits in Newark, NJ
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
HAA5 worst: 2018 | 0.131 mg/L 2.2× | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2015 | 0.152 mg/L 1.9× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
RADIUM 226 228 worst: 2017 | 1.5 pCi/L within below national p90 | 5 pCi/L | '17 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2013 | 0.092 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16 |
NITRATE worst: 2018 | 0.122 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '18'19 |
CYANIDE worst: 2016 | 0.002 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '16 |
BARIUM worst: 2016 | 0.008 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.254 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'15'17'18'19 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.0187 mg/L | — | '12'15'17'18'19 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0022 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'16'17'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.03 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0087 mg/L | — | '12'13'18 |
MCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0044 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'17'18'19 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0229 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0125 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0005 mg/L | — | '12 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0896 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00159 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.3 ng/LReported levelWanaque | 10 ng/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| Perfluorononanoic acidPerfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.69 ng/LReported levelWanaque | 10 ng/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acidPerfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.5 ng/LReported levelWanaque | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acidPerfluoroheptanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.3 ng/LReported levelWanaque | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanoic acidPerfluorohexanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 2.2 ng/LReported levelWanaque | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acidPerfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 2.2 ng/LReported levelWanaque | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 2.6 ng/LReported levelWanaque | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | 3.8 ng/LReported levelWanaque | 0 ng/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Njdwsc, Pwtp
| |||
People also ask about Newark, NJ's water
+Is Newark, NJ tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 14 contaminants measured in Newark, NJ's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Newark, NJ tap water?
14 contaminants were measured in Newark, NJ's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning pfas ("forever chemicals"), metals, and disinfection byproducts. 9 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Newark, NJ's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Newark, NJ's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.