Cape May County Water Quality: 4 Cities Ranked by the Records
Cape May County, New Jersey: 4 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
LithiumDetected in 3 systems of 4 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest12.9 µg/L
- WILDWOOD CITY WATER DEPARTMENT12.9 µg/LSample date: 2023-04-28 to 2024-09-27
- NJ AMERICAN WATER - OCEAN CITY12.2 µg/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2024-06-24
- STONE HARBOR WATER DEPT11.6 µg/LSample date: 2025-06-24 to 2025-12-03
- SEA ISLE CITY WATER DEPARTMENTNot detected · below 9.0 µg/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-06-28 to 2025-01-28
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 4 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest5.8 µg/L
- WILDWOOD CITY WATER DEPARTMENT5.8 µg/LMonitoring period: 2024–2026 (still open)
- STONE HARBOR WATER DEPT3.03 µg/LMonitoring period: 2022–2024
- NJ AMERICAN WATER - OCEAN CITYNot detectedMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- SEA ISLE CITY WATER DEPARTMENTNot detectedMonitoring period: 2024–2026 (still open)
Water hardnessDetected in 1 systemAesthetic, no federal health limit · USGSHighest4.6 gpg
- WILDWOOD CITY WATER DEPARTMENT4.6 gpgReporting year: 2025
29 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 4 systems: NJ AMERICAN WATER - OCEAN CITY, SEA ISLE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT, STONE HARBOR WATER DEPT, WILDWOOD CITY WATER DEPARTMENT
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 4 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in New Jersey1city reports hardness · Wildwood, 4.6 gpg
None above 7 gpg, the USGS threshold for hard water. An aesthetic measure with no federal health limit.
Hard water explainedLargest water systems
- WildwoodWILDWOOD CITY WATER DEPARTMENT · NJ0514001218,472 served
- Ocean CityNJ AMERICAN WATER - OCEAN CITY · NJ0508001127,000 served
- Stone HarborSTONE HARBOR WATER DEPT · NJ051000130,850 served
- Sea Isle CitySEA ISLE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT · NJ050900115,800 served
Frequently asked
How does Cape May County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 4 cities in Cape May County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Ocean City's main water system: NJ AMERICAN WATER - OCEAN CITY · PWSID NJ0508001 · Purity Score 100 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Cape May County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
None of the 4 Cape May County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. PFAS were detected below the limit in 0.
Is there lead in Cape May County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 4 Cape May County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
Does Cape May County have hard water?
Hardness is published in utility water-quality reports for 1 Cape May County city on record; the hardest is Wildwood at 4.6 grains per gallon. Hardness affects scale and appliances; it is not a health finding.
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