What's in the Water in Newark, NJ?
Monitoring data for Newark, New Jersey shows 6 distinct contaminants detected in the public water supply — Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes, Total Coliform (TCR), Combined Filter Effluent, Cyanide, and others. Of these, 2 exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level.
Contaminants Detected in Newark
| Contaminant | Detected | EPA Limit (MCL) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 0.081 mg/l | 60 mg/l | Exceeds limit |
| Total Trihalomethanes | 0.09 mg/l | 80 mg/l | Exceeds limit |
| Total Coliform (TCR) | 2.5 % positive | 5 % positive | Within limit |
| Combined Filter Effluent | 0.5 NTU | 1 NTU | Within limit |
| Cyanide | 100 ppb | 200 ppb | Within limit |
| Chlorine | 2 ppm | 4 ppm | Within limit |
Detected levels are the highest reported across Newark systems for each contaminant. MCL = EPA Maximum Contaminant Level, the legal safety ceiling. Source: EPA SDWIS monitoring data.
Safety & Violations
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Safety Score | 5/100 (F worst) |
| Public Water Systems | 1 |
| Population Served | 294,274 |
| Health Violations | 22 |
| Monitoring Violations | 5 |
| Contaminant Exceedances | 11 |
| Enforcement Actions | 101 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Monitoring data for Newark, New Jersey shows 6 distinct contaminants detected in the public water supply — Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes, Total Coliform (TCR), Combined Filter Effluent, Cyanide, and others. Of these, 2 exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level.
The 1 public water system serving Newark, New Jersey (population 294,274) average a Water Safety Score of 5/100, with a worst grade of F. These systems have 22 health-based violations and 11 contaminant exceedances on record.
Newark, New Jersey is served by 1 public water system, together supplying water to roughly 294,274 people. The worst safety grade among them is F.
Yes. 2 contaminants exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) in Newark: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes. An exceedance means a detected level was higher than the legal safety limit at least once during monitoring.
The Water Safety Score (0-100, graded A-F) weighs health-based violations (40%), contaminant exceedances (30%), enforcement history (20%), and monitoring violations (10%), using EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) data from the last 10 years.
Request your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), consider an independent test from a state-certified lab, and use an NSF-certified filter targeting any contaminant of concern. For lead specifically, run cold water 30 seconds before drinking.
More about Newark
Monitoring data for Newark, New Jersey shows 6 distinct contaminants detected in the public water supply — Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes, Total Coliform (TCR), Combined Filter Effluent, Cyanide, and others. Of these, 2 exceeded the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level.
The data source behind this answer is the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water, 2026.