Well water in Howell township, New Jersey

In Howell township, 9% of 1,951 private wells tested between 2002 and 2024 had total coliform above the New Jersey limit (any detection), according to NJDEP.

1,955 private wells tested 2002 to 2024 in state summaries; 8 individual samples from 5 wells, 1985 to 2012. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

NJDEP Private Well Testing Act summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2002 to 2024. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.

Contaminant	Wells tested	Above state level	State level
Iron	1,953	51%	300 ug/L
Manganese	1,953	30%	50 ug/L
Total coliform	1,951	9%
Gross alpha	1,779	7%	15 pCi/L
PFOA	189	2%	14 ng/L
Nitrate	1,955	<1%	10 mg/L
E. coli Fecal coliform or	1,951	<1%
PFNA	189	<1%	13 ng/L
PFOS	189	<1%	13 ng/L
Arsenic	550	0%	5 ug/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Howell township who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were total coliform (9% of 1,951 wells), PFOA (2% of 189 wells), and nitrate (<1% of 1,955 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.

Iron and manganese exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.

What to test for in Howell township

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Metals panel2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Iron51% of 1,953 local wells tested were above the New Jersey nuisance level.
Manganese30% of 1,953 local wells tested were above the New Jersey nuisance level.
Total coliform9% of 1,951 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit (any detection).
Gross alpha7% of 1,779 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
PFOA2% of 189 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
Nitrate<1% of 1,955 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
E. coli<1% of 1,951 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit (any detection).
PFNA<1% of 189 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.

Contamination sources on record in Howell township

NJDEP records 2 hazardous waste sites in Howell township, among 197 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.
155: 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
38: other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Total coliform: Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
Gross alpha: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Water softener (cation exchange) for radium; Anion exchange for uranium
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
Fluoride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation

Get your Howell township water tested at home

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Common questions

Is there arsenic in well water in Howell township?

Arsenic was detected in 38% of 8 public well samples in Howell township, and 0% 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 often should I test a private well in Howell 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.

Sources

USGS Water Quality Portal: 12 samples in Howell 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 Private Well Testing Act summaries: summaries for 10 contaminants in Howell township, up to 1,955 wells each. 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.
NJDEP regulated sites: 197 regulated sites located in Howell 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.