Source & Tap

New Jersey / Union County

Linden tap water

Linden's water met New Jersey's PFAS limits in 2025, but PFOA and PFOS were above the national limits EPA set in 2024.

Linden has about 45,752 residents and is served by the New Jersey American Water, Raritan system. Figures come from the utility's 2025 water quality report.

Where the water comes from

Your water comes from a public community water system consisting of 98 wells, 7 surface water intakes and 1 purchased surface water source. Source water comes from Millstone River, Raritan River, Delaware & Raritan Canal and the following aquifers: Brunswick, Stockton, Basalt, Passaic and Glacial Drift.

From the 2025 water quality report for the New Jersey American Water, Raritan 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).

PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid7 ppt

Below New Jersey's limit, above the federal limit

PFOS Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid6 ppt

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: PFBA, PFBS, PFHxA, PFHxS and PFPeA.

Hardness and lead

Hardness
Not listed in the 2025 report
Lead, 90th percentile of home taps
2 ppbAction level: 15 ppb

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.

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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, Raritan system; EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System; EPA UCMR 5. Public water system ID NJ2004002.

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.

Other towns on the same water system

These towns get their water from the New Jersey American Water, Raritan system, so their results match Linden's: