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Updated 2026-10-15
County water report

Middlesex County Water Quality: 9 Cities Ranked by the Records

Middlesex County, New Jersey: 9 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 Middlesex 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 9 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest19 ng/L
LithiumDetected in 4 systems of 9 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest21.2 µg/L
Copper (90th percentile)Detected in 1 system1.3 mg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest1.83 mg/L
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)Detected in 1 system of 9 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest14 ng/L
  • PERTH AMBOY WATER DEPARTMENT14 ng/LSample date: 2024-04-08 to 2025-01-31
  • EAST BRUNSWICK WATER UTILITYNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-27 to 2023-11-13
  • EDISON WATER CONot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-08-09 to 2024-05-20
  • HIGHLAND PARK W DEPTNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-06-28 to 2025-03-12
  • MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANYNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-11-14 to 2024-08-13
  • NEW BRUNSWICK W DEPTNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-06-18 to 2025-02-25
  • OLD BRIDGE MUANot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-25 to 2024-02-06
  • SAYREVILLE W DEPTNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-11-09 to 2024-08-13
  • SOUTH RIVER W DEPTNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-12-14 to 2024-09-16
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 4 systems of 9 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest5.1 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 7 systems of 9 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest1.78 µg/L
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 7 systems of 9 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest8.4 ng/L
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 5 systems of 9 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8.3 ng/L
2 more contaminants detectedShow
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 9 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3.4 ng/L
  • PERTH AMBOY WATER DEPARTMENT3.4 ng/LSample date: 2024-04-08 to 2025-01-31
  • EAST BRUNSWICK WATER UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-27 to 2023-11-13
  • EDISON WATER CONot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-08-09 to 2024-05-20
  • HIGHLAND PARK W DEPTNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-06-28 to 2025-03-12
  • MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-11-14 to 2024-08-13
  • NEW BRUNSWICK W DEPTNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-06-18 to 2025-02-25
  • OLD BRIDGE MUANot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-25 to 2024-02-06
  • SAYREVILLE W DEPTNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-11-09 to 2024-08-13
  • SOUTH RIVER W DEPTNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-12-14 to 2024-09-16
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 7 systems of 9 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.4 ng/L
22 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 9 systems: EAST BRUNSWICK WATER UTILITY, EDISON WATER CO, HIGHLAND PARK W DEPT, MIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY, NEW BRUNSWICK W DEPT, OLD BRIDGE MUA, PERTH AMBOY WATER DEPARTMENT, SAYREVILLE W DEPT, SOUTH RIVER W DEPT

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

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 6 of 9 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 Middlesex County9 of 9 city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit
  1. New Brunswick5.1 ng/L
  2. Perth Amboy4.9 ng/L
  3. South River4.1 ng/L
  4. Old Bridge4 ng/L
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in New Jersey
Lead

0of 9 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
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. CarteretMIDDLESEX WATER COMPANY · NJ1225001
    233,376 served
  2. Old BridgeOLD BRIDGE MUA · NJ1209002
    68,000 served
  3. New BrunswickNEW BRUNSWICK W DEPT · NJ1214001
    55,000 served
  4. Perth AmboyPERTH AMBOY WATER DEPARTMENT · NJ1216001
    52,328 served
  5. East BrunswickEAST BRUNSWICK WATER UTILITY · NJ1204001
    49,715 served
  6. SayrevilleSAYREVILLE W DEPT · NJ1219001
    45,345 served
  7. EdisonEDISON WATER CO · NJ1205001
    35,000 served
  8. South RiverSOUTH RIVER W DEPT · NJ1223001
    16,000 served
  9. Highland ParkHIGHLAND PARK W DEPT · NJ1207001
    14,000 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Middlesex County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 9 cities in Middlesex 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 Highland Park's main water system: HIGHLAND PARK W DEPT · PWSID NJ1207001 · Purity Score 70 (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 Middlesex County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?

9 of 9 Middlesex County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Perth Amboy (PFOA 19 ng/L), Sayreville (PFOA 9.3 ng/L), New Brunswick (PFOA 7.7 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 9.

Is there lead in Middlesex County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 7 of 9 Middlesex 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 Middlesex County water systems had drinking-water violations?

2 cities in Middlesex County have 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.

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