PFOA in New Jersey well water
In New Jersey, 10% of 20,186 private wells tested between 2002 and 2024 had PFOA above the New Jersey limit (14 ng/L), according to NJDEP.
PFOA is a forever chemical from firefighting foam, industrial discharge and consumer products. It builds up in the body and is linked to kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, immune effects and low birth weight.
Check your PFOA number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the New Jersey limit and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your New Jersey well for PFOA
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove PFOA
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For PFOA
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For PFOA
Whole-house PFAS carbon system
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $3,000
Granular activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS; replace media on schedule.
For PFOA
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for PFOA in New Jersey: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (14 ng/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, 2002 to 2024.
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 131 | ||
| Bergen | 530 | ||
| Passaic | 931 | ||
| Sussex | 2,246 | ||
| Morris | 1,851 | ||
| Somerset | 911 | ||
| Cape May | 696 | ||
| Mercer | 302 | ||
| Salem | 951 | ||
| Burlington | 2,050 | ||
| Gloucester | 1,648 | ||
| Cumberland | 1,674 | ||
| Camden | 601 | ||
| Ocean | 751 | ||
| Hunterdon | 1,905 |
Towns with the highest share above the state level
- North Haledon borough, Passaic County74% of 76 wells
- Wayne township, Passaic County66% of 32 wells
- Hopatcong borough, Sussex County60% of 391 wells
- Saddle River borough, Bergen County56% of 84 wells
- Piscataway township, Middlesex County55% of 47 wells
- Montville township, Morris County49% of 96 wells
- Franklin Lakes borough, Bergen County46% of 140 wells
- Upper Saddle River borough, Bergen County37% of 181 wells
- Ringwood borough, Passaic County34% of 94 wells
- Rockaway township, Morris County33% of 130 wells
- Franklin township, Somerset County29% of 147 wells
- Boonton township, Morris County24% of 86 wells
- Bloomingdale borough, Passaic County24% of 33 wells
- West Milford township, Passaic County24% of 678 wells
- Carneys Point township, Salem County23% of 31 wells
- Mahwah township, Bergen County22% of 37 wells
- Warren township, Somerset County21% of 71 wells
- Kinnelon borough, Morris County20% of 137 wells
- Oldmans township, Salem County18% of 56 wells
- Elsinboro township, Salem County18% of 45 wells
- Pemberton township, Burlington County16% of 399 wells
- Vernon township, Sussex County16% of 484 wells
- Lower township, Cape May County16% of 71 wells
- West Amwell township, Hunterdon County15% of 52 wells
- Randolph township, Morris County14% of 121 wells
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (4 ng/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 43 | 42% | 0 | 93 ng/L |
Sources
- NJDEP Private Well Testing Act summaries: Share of private wells exceeding each standard in tests required at sale or lease under the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act, September 2002 to December 2024, published by NJDEP. Tests are untreated water at the time of sale or lease, so every well is counted once per transaction. Municipalities with fewer than ten wells are suppressed. Standards are New Jersey's: arsenic 5 ug/L, PFOA 14 ng/L, PFOS 13 ng/L, PFNA 13 ng/L, manganese and iron secondary standards. Uranium and PFAS were added to the required panel in 2021 and 2020, so their well counts are smaller. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. PFOA counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.
Analysis: PFAS in private wells: known sources versus routine testing, from the same public records.