Essex County, New Jersey has about 881,527 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 21 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Newark Water Department, serving about 294,274 people from surface water.
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Newark Water Department Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence
3.1 gpg (53 mg/L, Pequannock (as reported in PVWC CCR table)), soft
Source: NEWARK WATER DEPARTMENT water quality report, 2025
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 3,711 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain.
Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
The 6 biggest of 21 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
NJ0714001 · serves about 294,274 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 4 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NJ0705001 · serves about 75,000 people · Groundwater
Lead 90th percentile: 1.6 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NJ0702001 · serves about 53,315 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 2.2 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NJ0713001 · serves about 40,150 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NJ0701001 · serves about 35,129 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 1.9 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
NJ0712001 · serves about 217,230 people · Surface water
Lead 90th percentile: 3 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.
These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.
4 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Newark Water Department's most recent lead 90th percentile was 4 ppb (2026), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.
Newark Water Department reports about 3.1 grains per gallon (53 mg/L), which is soft. For a 3-person home at 3.1 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
4 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 5 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Most homes are served by Newark Water Department or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.
Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.