Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Jersey City?
Yes, tap water in Jersey City is safe to drink. It comes from protected reservoirs in Morris County and meets EPA standards, though the city has worked through lead service line issues in older neighborhoods in recent years.
Water Source
The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority supplies water from the Boonton Reservoir on the Rockaway River and the Split Rock Reservoir in Morris County, treated and delivered under an operating contract with Veolia (formerly SUEZ).
EPA Compliance Status
Meets all federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
Notable Contaminants & Context
- •Lead from household service lines — some monitoring periods around 2018–2021 exceeded the federal lead action level, prompting corrosion-control upgrades and an accelerated line replacement program
- •Disinfection byproducts from reservoir water are monitored and kept within EPA limits
- •Source reservoirs are well protected; contamination risk is concentrated in aging distribution-side plumbing, not the raw water
Water Quality Data
Key contaminants detected vs. regulatory limits. All values from the most recent published report — Source: Veolia Water New Jersey 2024 CCR.
| Contaminant | Detected | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine (total) | 1.4 mg/L | 4.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| Fluoride | 0.73 mg/L | 4.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| Lead (90th percentile) | 4.1 µg/L | 15.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| Nitrate (as N) | 0.82 mg/L | 10.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| TTHM (Total Trihalomethanes) | 30.6 µg/L | 80.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| HAA5 (Haloacetic Acids) | 21.4 µg/L | 60.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| PFAS (total) | 6.1 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L | ⚠ |
✓ = below limit ⚠ = above health goal ✗ = exceeds guideline
How It Compares
Unlike neighboring Newark, whose lead crisis made national news, Jersey City's lead issues were narrower and were addressed with corrosion control and line replacement before reaching that scale.
Tips
- •Check whether your building has a lead service line via the JCMUA lookup and request replacement if so
- •Run the cold tap briefly after overnight stagnation in pre-1950 buildings
- •A certified lead-reduction filter is a sensible precaution in older walk-ups
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
The safety rating and guidance on this page draw on the following sources. See our full methodology.
- •US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations
- •EWG Tap Water Database
- •The utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- •WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality