PFAS in New Jersey Water: Limits, Test Results, and What Removes Them

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are a large family of man-made chemicals used since the 1940s in nonstick cookware, water-repellent fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foam.

The carbon-fluorine bonds that make PFAS useful also make them extremely hard to break down. Once they reach groundwater or rivers, they stay. That persistence is why regulators treat them differently from most contaminants, and why the limits are written in parts per trillion (ppt). One part per trillion is roughly one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The three PFAS New Jersey regulates in drinking water are PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA. New Jersey has a particular history with PFNA, which was tied to industrial sources in the state.

New Jersey moved ahead of the federal government on PFAS. The state's enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water are:

• PFNA: 13 ppt, adopted September 4, 2018
• PFOA: 14 ppt, adopted June 1, 2020
• PFOS: 13 ppt, adopted June 1, 2020

Monitoring followed the same path: New Jersey public water systems began monitoring for PFNA under rules adopted in 2019, and quarterly monitoring for PFOA and PFOS has been required since January 1, 2021. Systems that exceed a limit must notify customers and address the problem.

The federal picture is tighter but still moving. In April 2024, the EPA finalized a national rule setting limits of 4.0 ppt each for PFOA and PFOS, with a health-based goal of zero. As of August 2026, the EPA has said it will keep those two limits. In May 2026 it proposed two changes: letting water systems request two extra years, to 2031 instead of 2029, to comply, and rescinding the separate federal limits for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX chemicals, along with a related mixture standard called the Hazard Index. The public comment period closed July 20, 2026, and the EPA has said it intends to finalize the changes before the end of 2026.

What this means for a New Jersey homeowner: the state limits of 13 to 14 ppt apply now, no matter what happens federally. The federal 4 ppt limits for PFOA and PFOS are stricter, so water that meets New Jersey's current standards may still be above the level utilities will need to reach by 2029, or 2031 if the proposed extension is finalized.

Public systems. A peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2024 looked at NJDEP monitoring data from 2019 to 2021. PFAS were detected in 63 percent of the community water systems tested, and those systems collectively serve about 84 percent of the state's residents who get water from community systems. A detection is not the same as a violation. Many systems detect PFAS below the state limits, and utilities that exceed a limit are required to act. Many systems have added treatment since the state rules took effect.

Private wells. New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) requires well water testing when a home with a private well is sold, and requires landlords with wells to test every five years. PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA were added to the required test list in December 2021. A 2024 peer-reviewed review of PWTA data found that 12.1 percent of the wells tested since then exceeded at least one of New Jersey's three PFAS limits. Because the PWTA is triggered mainly by real estate sales, most well owners have never had their water tested for PFAS.

Our service area in the Union, Essex, and Morris county region includes both situations: homes on large public utilities and, especially in western Morris County, homes on private wells.

If you are on city water:

• Read your utility's annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). Utilities publish one every year, and most post it online. Look for the rows listing PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA and compare the detected levels to the limits above.
• You can also look up your system's sampling results in NJDEP's public Drinking Water Watch database.

If you are on a private well:

• The state does not test your well for you outside of a property sale. Testing is up to you.
• Only an NJDEP-certified laboratory can give you official PFAS results. PFAS analysis measures parts per trillion and requires specialized lab equipment and careful sampling. No test strip or in-home device can measure PFAS at these levels. Jersey Water Pros can help you arrange certified lab testing.

Whichever water source you have, keep a copy of your results. They are the starting point for any treatment decision.

Two technologies have solid evidence and third-party certification behind them.

• Granular activated carbon (GAC). Carbon adsorbs PFOA and PFOS as water passes through. EPA research has found GAC can be highly effective when the system is properly sized and the carbon is replaced on schedule. It works well on the longer-chain PFAS that New Jersey regulates. Carbon systems can be installed at a single tap or for the whole house.
• Reverse osmosis (RO). An RO membrane physically rejects contaminants. EPA research shows high-pressure membranes are typically more than 90 percent effective across a wide range of PFAS, including shorter-chain compounds. RO is usually installed under the kitchen sink to treat drinking and cooking water.

The key word is certified. Look for systems certified to NSF/ANSI 53 (carbon and other adsorptive filters) or NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis) with PFOA and PFOS reduction listed in the certification. PFOA and PFOS reduction claims were first added to these standards starting in 2018, and the 2022 editions expanded coverage to additional PFAS compounds.

Just as important is what does not work:

• Boiling does not remove PFAS.
• Water softeners are built to remove hardness minerals, not PFAS.
• Uncertified filters, including many fridge and pitcher filters, carry no verified PFAS claim.

Certification assumes maintenance. A carbon cartridge or RO membrane left in place past its service life stops performing as tested, so any PFAS system needs a filter change schedule.

Start with your water's actual numbers. If you are on city water, pull up your utility's annual water quality report and find the rows for PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA. If you are on a private well, only results from an NJDEP-certified laboratory are official, and we can help you arrange that testing. No in-home device can measure PFAS at parts-per-trillion levels, so a certified lab is the one path to reliable results.

Once you have results in hand, we walk you through them in plain English. If treatment makes sense, we design it around your actual numbers: carbon or reverse osmosis equipment certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA and PFOS reduction, installed by licensed New Jersey master plumbers. We serve the Union, Essex, and Morris county area. Schedule your free in-home estimate from Jersey Water Pros to get started.

Reading about water quality is useful right up to the point where you need your own numbers. On city water, start with the annual water quality report your utility is required to publish. It lists what was detected and at what level, and it is free. On a private well, nothing is measured unless you order it, and only a laboratory certified by NJDEP produces results that count for a real estate transaction or a health decision. We help homeowners arrange that testing and read the results, and we do not run our own testing or use a countertop demonstration to sell equipment.

Once the numbers are in front of you, the treatment decision gets simple, because each problem has a proven fix and a certification that proves the equipment does what it claims. For what this guide covers, that usually means whole house water filtration or reverse osmosis systems. You can also check your town’s water profile for the utility serving your street and its published hardness, or size a system yourself with our softener size calculator.

Jersey Water Pros is based in Summit and serves Union, Essex & Morris County, NJ. Every system we install is performed by a licensed New Jersey master plumber, permitted and inspected the way the state requires, and quoted in writing before any work starts. If your water turns out not to need treatment, we will tell you that instead of selling you something.