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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Hudson County Water Quality: 6 Cities Ranked by the Records

Hudson County, New Jersey: 6 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.

Find my systemOpen on the mapPrivate wells in Hudson County
Across the county's systems

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.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 6 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest14 ng/L
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 4 systems of 6 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest8.1 ng/L
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)Detected in 1 system80 ppb federal MCL · US EPAHighest58.5 ppb
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)Detected in 1 system60 ppb federal MCL · US EPAHighest37.5 ppb
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 5 systems of 6 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest7.78 µg/L
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 2 systems of 6 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5 ng/L
CopperDetected in 1 system1.3 mg/L (action level) · US EPAHighest0.129 mg/L
NitrateDetected in 1 system10 mg/L · US EPAHighest0.4 mg/L
6 more contaminants detectedShow
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 6 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest4 ng/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 3 systems of 6 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest7.2 ng/L
Water hardnessDetected in 1 systemAesthetic, no federal health limit · USGSHighest4.4 gpg
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.2 ng/L
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3.2 ng/L
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 3 systems of 6 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8.6 ng/L
22 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 6 systems: CITY OF BAYONNE, HARRISON W DEPT, HOBOKEN WATER UTILITY, JERSEY CITY MUA, KEARNY WATER DEPARTMENT, VEOLIA WATER NEW JERSEY HACKENSACK

  • 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)
  • Lithium
  • 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)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
6 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 6 cities · scores are system-level, not tap tests

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.

PFAS in Hudson County6 of 6 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. Union City8.1 ng/L
  2. Jersey City7.7 ng/L
  3. Harrison6.2 ng/L
  4. Hoboken4.6 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in New Jersey
Lead

0of 6 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 Jersey
Hard water

1city reports hardness · Jersey City, 4.4 gpg

None above 7 gpg, the USGS threshold for hard water. An aesthetic measure with no federal health limit.

Hard water explained
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. Union CityVEOLIA WATER NEW JERSEY HACKENSACK · NJ0238001
    792,713 served
  2. Jersey CityJERSEY CITY MUA · NJ0906001
    262,000 served
  3. BayonneCITY OF BAYONNE · NJ0901001
    63,000 served
  4. HobokenHOBOKEN WATER UTILITY · NJ0905001
    52,000 served
  5. KearnyKEARNY WATER DEPARTMENT · NJ0907001
    41,664 served
  6. HarrisonHARRISON W DEPT · NJ0904001
    14,425 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Hudson County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 6 cities in Hudson 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 Bayonne's main water system: CITY OF BAYONNE · PWSID NJ0901001 · Purity Score 73 (Fair) · 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 Hudson County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

6 of 6 Hudson County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Union City (PFOA 14 ng/L), Jersey City (PFOA 9.2 ng/L), Harrison (PFOA 8.8 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 6.

Is there lead in Hudson County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 5 of 6 Hudson 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.

Have Hudson County water systems had drinking-water violations?

1 city in Hudson County has a health-based violation in the federal SDWIS record within about the last ten years. Each city report lists the contaminant, year and whether it was resolved.

Does Hudson County have hard water?

Hardness is published in utility water-quality reports for 1 Hudson County city on record; the hardest is Jersey City at 4.4 grains per gallon. Hardness affects scale and appliances; it is not a health finding.

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