Forever Chemicals
Anxiety about a move into a densely settled state like New Jersey is understandable, and it helps to know the state has been anything but passive on this. Drinking-water oversight runs through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and this is among the states that set its own enforceable PFAS limits well ahead of the 2024 federal rule. The figures below are the public record for the state, pulled into one view, not a judgment on any single tap. Use this as a grounded place to begin when evaluating an address, and a way to understand what the records show before deciding what is worth reviewing in detail.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 52 public water systems in New Jersey for 29 PFAS compounds; 26 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 50% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific New Jersey address.
New Jersey's drinking water is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), which runs the state's drinking water program. On PFAS, New Jersey is firmly among the states that set their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits ahead of the April 2024 federal rule, having acted early and assertively through the NJDEP. The federal rule itself caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion, with limits on related compounds. The concrete reassurance here is that this is a state with a named agency that pushed on PFAS well before the federal standard arrived.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in New Jerseyserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
52
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
26
Systems with any PFAS detected
50% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
11
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
2
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the New Jerseyutilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| HO HO KUS WATER DEPT | 7 | 0.03 | Below MCL |
| OAKLAND WATER DEPT, NJ | 8 | 0.02 | Below MCL |
| WALDWICK WATER DEPT | 6 | 0.02 | Below MCL |
| PERTH AMBOY WATER DEPARTMENT | 5 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| GARFIELD WATER DEPARTMENT | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| CITY OF CAMDEN | 7 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| FAIR LAWN WATER DEPT | 4 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| SUEZ WATER NEW JERSEY HACKENSACK | 3 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| PVWC-NORTH ARLINGTON | 6 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| SUEZ WATER NEW JERSEY FRANKLIN LAKES | 6 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across New Jersey water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these New Jersey installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Air Force
NMC Det Earle
Navy
Looking at a specific New Jerseycity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
Before drawing conclusions from the figures below, it helps to know their boundaries. The federal UCMR5 round tested for 29 PFAS compounds, but only in public systems serving more than 3,300 people, sampled across 2021 to 2024. Private wells and many small systems were not required to participate, and a detection from 2022 is not necessarily what comes out of a tap today. Even in a heavily developed state, pockets of well-dependent households exist, and the NJDEP offers guidance for testing private wells that beats reading a public-system number out of context. Treat the numbers above as a screening snapshot rather than a final verdict.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 52 public water systems in New Jersey; 26 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Yes. New Jersey is among the states that set their own enforceable PFAS drinking-water limits ahead of the 2024 federal rule, acting early through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The federal rule separately caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection oversees public water systems and has been among the most assertive states on PFAS, setting its own enforceable limits ahead of the federal rule, which caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, or NJDEP, is the state environmental agency responsible for protecting New Jersey's water, land, and air, including oversight of public drinking-water systems.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any New Jersey address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report