Newark, DE water treatment
What's in Newark's water, who supplies it, and how to fix what you find, with sources. Check your ZIP for your utility's EPA records.
Your water in Newark
The City of Newark Water Department serves about 40,000 people from surface water and covers the center of ZIP 19711; Artesian Water Company serves another large part of the ZIP[1]. About 42% of the land is outside mapped service areas, where some homes use private wells.
Newark's 2025 water quality report lists hardness of about 68 ppm (around 4 grains per gallon) and iron of 0.055 ppm[2]. That's moderately hard, softer than Wilmington. PFAS is the bigger story: in EPA's UCMR 5 sampling the City reported PFOA up to 25.3 ppt and PFOS up to 7.5 ppt, and Artesian reported PFOA up to 23.1 ppt[3]. Delaware's 4.0 ppt limits took effect in January 2026[4].
Local issues to know
- PFAS: Delaware's PFOA and PFOS limits of 4.0 ppt took effect in January 2026[4]. Utilities post results on Delaware Drinking Water Watch[5].
- Hardness: The City of Newark reported 68 mg/L as calcium carbonate, about 4.0 grains per gallon in its 2025 report[2]. The USGS calls 61–120 mg/L moderately hard and 121–180 mg/L hard[6]. See hard water and our hardness by town table.
- Private wells: Delaware's Division of Public Health recommends testing every year for nitrate and bacteria, and offers free test kits and financial aid for well owners[7]. See nitrate.
Utility or well? ZIP 19711: about 42% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[1]. Homes in those areas are likely on private wells, which no utility tests. If that's you, start with a free in-home test.
Utility records
City of Newark Water Department
EPA water system ID DE0000630 · serves about 40,000 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations in the last three years; 1 older on record (ph, Jun 2018, resolved)[1]
- Lead
- 1 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 25.3 ppt, PFOS up to 7.5 ppt, PFHxA up to 13.2 ppt, PFPeA up to 12.6 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[3]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Artesian Water Company
EPA water system ID DE0000552 · serves about 231,114 people · surface water bought from another supplier
- Health violations
- No health-based violations in the last three years; 4 older on record (manganese, May 2020, resolved; manganese, Sep 2019, resolved)[1]
- Lead
- 1 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 23.1 ppt, PFOS up to 6 ppt, PFPeA up to 106 ppt, PFBA up to 79.1 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[3]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Recommended for Newark homes
Comparing options? See tankless vs. tank reverse osmosis and all five WÜDR systems.
How it works
- Analysis: your free ZIP report and quiz, or a free in-home test (always, for wells).
- Recommendation: a system matched to your results.
- Price: shown only after the analysis.
- Install: buy on your own or talk it through first.
Check your water in Newark
Look up what your local water utility has reported to the EPA, then take a 60-second quiz about what you see, taste, and smell at home. We'll use both to recommend the right solution.
Get your water report
Enter your ZIP code to see your utility's violations, lead testing, and PFAS results from public EPA records, explained in plain English.
Data comes from U.S. EPA and Census public records. It covers public water systems, not private wells, and it isn't a test of your home's tap. If you're on a well, a free in-home test is the best way to know what's in your water.
Water self-check quiz
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Based on your water report and quiz answers.
Newark water questions
Who supplies Newark, DE water?
The City of Newark Water Department or Artesian Water Company, depending on your address. Some homes use private wells.
Is Newark water hard?
Moderately. The City's 2025 report lists about 68 ppm, around 4 grains per gallon. Artesian's water varies more; ask us to test yours.
Does Newark water have PFAS?
EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 25.3 ppt on the City system and 23.1 ppt on Artesian's. Check each utility's latest report for treatment updates under Delaware's 2026 limits.
Book a free water test in Newark
Sources
- U.S. EPA: SDWIS Federal Reports (violations, lead and copper results). sdwis.epa.gov/ords/sfdw_pub/r/sfdw/sdwis_fed_reports_public/200
- City of Newark, DE: 2025 Annual Water Quality Report. newarkde.gov/ccr
- U.S. EPA: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- Delaware Public Health: PFAS in Delaware public drinking water. publichealthalerts.delaware.gov/pfas-in-delaware-public-drinking-water/
- Delaware Drinking Water Watch. drinkingwater.dhss.delaware.gov/
- USGS Water Science School: Hardness of water. www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water
- Delaware DPH: Financial aid program and free water testing kits for private well owners (Aug 31, 2023). news.delaware.gov/2023/08/31/dph-launches-new-financial-aid-program-for-private-well-owners-offers-free-water-testing-kits-to-delaware-residents/
- U.S. EPA: Basic information about lead in drinking water. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
- U.S. EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) information for consumers. www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
EPA records retrieved Oct 2026 from the EPA SDWIS and UCMR 5 public datasets. Utility records describe a water system, not the tap in your home. Records can lag and may be incomplete.