Well water in Pennsauken township, New Jersey
In Pennsauken township, 5% of 42 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for lead (15 ug/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
1,156 test results across 12 contaminants from at least 55 wells, 1932 to 2024; iron has the most at 318. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Pennsauken township. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.
| Contaminant | Above limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead 1969 to 2011 | 42 | 31% | 0 | 20 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1981 to 2024 | 67 | 73% | 1 | 19 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1980 to 2011 | 55 | 76% | 0.81 | 4.8 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Iron 1932 to 2024 | no limit | 318 | 99% | 5,050 | 51,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 1932 to 2024 | no limit | 318 | 100% | 1,200 | 24,000 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Sodium 1932 to 2024 | no limit | 317 | 100% | 12 | 49 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Radon 2021 to 2024 | no limit | 22 | 100% | 161 | 230 | 2,000 pCi/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Radium (226 + 228) (9), Fluoride (3), Copper (2), Uranium (2), Chloride (1).
Over time
Share of samples above the limit by period. A cell needs ten samples to show; a comparison needs twenty in each period. Later periods sample fewer wells, and often the ones already known to have a problem.
| Contaminant | before 2000 | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 3%34 samples | n/a | n/a | 0%31 samples |
Arsenic has held within a few points between the two most recent periods with enough samples.
Closer than the town
See the sampled wells near your address
The same records, drawn around one point: which wells within a few miles were sampled and what they found, how deep the wells next to you were drilled, and any leaking tank or cleanup site within a mile.
Check my addressWhat this means
The contaminants most often above their limit here are lead (5% of 42 samples) and arsenic (1% of 67 samples). A well next door can differ sharply from yours because bedrock fractures, well depth and plumbing all matter, so these rates describe the area, not your tap.
Iron, Manganese, and Chloride are widespread in local groundwater. They are mainly a staining and taste problem, but high manganese also carries a health advisory for infants.
What to test for in Pennsauken township
- 1Lead5% of 42 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Arsenic1% of 67 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 4RadonMedian local reading is 161 pCi/L.
- 5NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
- 6Radium (226 + 228)Above the limit in 1 of 9 local samples; too few to quote a rate.
- 7FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- 9Metals panel2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Test your Pennsauken township well for lead, arsenic and coliform bacteria
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
Just want bacteria checked first? Tap Score coliform and E. coli test, $99. Coliform and E. coli are the tests every well needs every year.
Want a quick look before paying for a lab? Home well water test strips on Amazon check hardness, iron, pH and nitrate in minutes. They are a screen, not a result: arsenic, bacteria, uranium and PFAS need a certified lab.
Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Where to get a well tested in New Jersey: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Pennsauken township numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under Pennsauken township
Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system
Semiconsolidated sand. Coastal plain sands like these give steady yields at moderate depth. Salt water and sodium are the usual issues near the coast, and nitrate where the water table is shallow; arsenic and radon from bedrock are less common.
Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the town centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in New Jersey
Two places to start that are not selling anything: the state program that answers private well questions, and its list of labs certified to run drinking water tests. A certified lab is the difference between a result you can act on and a number.
- Private Wells, NJDEP
- Certified Laboratories, NJDEP
Contamination sources on record in Pennsauken township
NJDEP records 2 hazardous waste sites in Pennsauken township, among 341 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.
- 2
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 275
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 2
- lined landfills and transfer facilities
- 62
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
Lead
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
Arsenic
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
Iron
Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Systems we would look at first
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 lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For lead
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
For lead
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.
For arsenic
Whole-house arsenic and uranium filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,500
Adsorptive iron-based media; sized to your well yield.
For iron
Iron and manganese oxidizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,800
Air-injection or greensand media; fixes staining at the source.
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Common questions
Is there arsenic in well water in Pennsauken township?
Arsenic was detected in 73% of 67 public well samples in Pennsauken township, and 1% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.
How high is radon in well water in Pennsauken township?
The median radon level across 22 public samples in Pennsauken township was 161 pCi/L, with a high of 230 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Pennsauken township?
Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.
Towns near Pennsauken township
Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next town over is a fair second opinion.
Want the numbers themselves? Download the New Jersey dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 1,156 samples in Pennsauken township. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- NJDEP regulated sites: 341 regulated sites located in Pennsauken township. Known Contaminated Sites, regulated underground storage tank facilities and solid waste landfills from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ-GeoWeb). Retrieved September 9, 2026.
Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.