New Jersey / Union County
Elizabeth tap water
Elizabeth's water met New Jersey's PFAS limits in 2025, but PFOA and PFOS were above the national limits EPA set in 2024.
Where the water comes from
Water for the Liberty System is purchased from Raritan Water System and Newark Water Dept. Source water for the Raritan System is surface water that comes from the Millstone River, Raritan River, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal. The Newark Water Company's surface water sources are from reservoirs located in the Pequannock and Wanaque watersheds.
From the 2025 water quality report for the New Jersey American Water, Liberty system.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Each bar shows the highest running annual average in the utility's 2025 report, against EPA's national limit and New Jersey's limit. Levels are in parts per trillion (ppt).
Below New Jersey's limit, above the federal limit
Below New Jersey's limit, above the federal limit
EPA kept its 4 ppt limits for PFOA and PFOS. Utilities must meet them by 2029; EPA has proposed letting systems request until 2031.
Also detected, with no drinking water limit yet: PFBS, PFHxA and PFPeA.
Hardness and lead
- Hardness
- 143 mg/L8.4 grains per gallon, hard
- Lead, 90th percentile of home taps
- 2 ppbAction level: 15 ppb
Estimate a water softener size for your home
How it works: grains per day = people × gallons × hardness, with 4 grains added for each ppm of iron. We size up so the softener can run on its salt-saving setting, which gives roughly three quarters of its rated capacity.
Lead mostly comes from service lines and plumbing inside homes, not from the treatment plant. Your own tap can differ from the system-wide number.
What you can do
To lower PFOA and PFOS at home, you need a filter certified for reducing each of them. Look for NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or 58 with a PFOA and PFOS reduction claim. Certification shows the filter reduces these chemicals; it doesn't guarantee levels below the federal limit.
Some product links may earn us a commission. It doesn't affect which products we list. How we choose products.
- Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Under-sinkCertified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 42, NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 401 for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
- Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-sinkCertified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 42, NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 401 for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
- Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-sinkCertified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 42, NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 401 for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
- Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect Under-sinkCertified by IAPMO to NSF/ANSI 42, NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 401 for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
- Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis Reverse osmosisCertified by IAPMO to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
- ZeroWater 5-Stage filter (pitchers and dispensers) PitcherCertified by IAPMO for PFOA, PFOS and lead.See certification details
Replace cartridges on schedule, since a used-up filter stops working.
You can check any filter's certification on the certifiers' own sites: NSF, WQA and IAPMO.
Sources. 2025 water quality report, New Jersey American Water, Liberty system; EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System; EPA UCMR 5. Public water system ID NJ2004001.
Values checked against the original report in September 2026. See how we check the data. Found an error? Tell us and we'll correct it.