Union County, New Jersey has about 594,160 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 5 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Nj American Water - Raritan, serving about 615,430 people from surface water.
✓ 0 of 5 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 4 of 4 sampled systemsHardness 10.5 gpg (low confidence)
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
How hard is Union County water?
Nj American Water - RaritanEstimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence
10.5 gpg(180 mg/L), hard
Union County: median of 740 results from 49 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.
County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Softener size at 10.5 gpg
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 12,569 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.
Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
The 5 biggest of 5 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
Nj American Water - Raritan
NJ2004002 · serves about 615,430 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (6 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 1 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFOA: highest sample 7.5 ppt (8 of 18 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFOS: highest sample 6.8 ppt (3 of 18 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFBA: highest sample 5.9 ppt (2 of 18 samples); no federal limit
PFPeA: highest sample 4.3 ppt (3 of 18 samples); no federal limit
PFHxS: highest sample 3.6 ppt (2 of 18 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
PFHxA: highest sample 3.6 ppt (1 of 18 samples); no federal limit
NJ0712001 · serves about 217,230 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (7 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 3 ppb (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFPeA: highest sample 27.5 ppt (10 of 30 samples); no federal limit
PFHxA: highest sample 11.2 ppt (7 of 30 samples); no federal limit
PFOA: highest sample 9.1 ppt (16 of 30 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFBA: highest sample 6.5 ppt (4 of 30 samples); no federal limit
PFOS: highest sample 6.1 ppt (3 of 30 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFHxS: highest sample 3.6 ppt (2 of 30 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
PFBS: highest sample 3.1 ppt (2 of 30 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
NJ2013001 · serves about 27,300 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (4 types)
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2026-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFOA: highest sample 6.9 ppt (1 of 4 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFBA: highest sample 5.9 ppt (1 of 4 samples); no federal limit
PFPeA: highest sample 5.4 ppt (1 of 4 samples); no federal limit
PFHxA: highest sample 4.1 ppt (1 of 4 samples); no federal limit
NJ2021001 · serves about 1,600 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS: not sampled
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.
Test your own tap
These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.
Common questions about Union County water
Is tap water in Union County safe to drink?
None of the 5 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. Nj American Water - Raritan's most recent lead 90th percentile was 1 ppb (2026), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.
How hard is the water in Union County?
There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Union County have a median of about 10.5 grains per gallon (180 mg/L, hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 10.5 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
Is there PFAS in Union County water?
4 of the 4 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 6 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Which water system serves my address in Union County?
Most homes are served by Nj American Water - Raritan or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.
Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.