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Guide

NJ Private Well Testing Act: what to know

Selling or renting in NJ? What the Private Well Testing Act requires, including PFAS, what the statewide results show, and what to do if your well fails.

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New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) is one of the few laws in the country that makes private well owners test their water. A well must be tested by a state-certified lab when a home is sold, and landlords must test every five years and share the results with tenants[1].

What's tested

The PWTA test covers a list of parameters set by NJDEP, and some are required only in certain counties. PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS were added to the list on December 1, 2021[1]. Your certified lab will confirm the exact list for your county; NJDEP's program page has the details[2].

What the statewide results show

  • PFAS: of more than 16,000 wells tested from December 2021 through 2023, 11.2% had at least one PFAS above a state standard[1].
  • Arsenic: 5.7% of 89,206 tested wells exceeded 5 µg/L, with the highest rates in Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, and Somerset counties[3].
  • Gross alpha (radium): 10% of 99,698 tested wells exceeded 15 pCi/L, most often in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties[4].

If the well fails

  1. Read the report with the lab. Find out which parameter failed and by how much. Retest if the result is borderline or the sample may have been compromised.
  2. Match treatment to the problem. NJDEP's treatment guidance explains the options, including point-of-entry (whole-home) versus point-of-use (one tap)[5]. See well water treatment and PFAS filtration.
  3. Check for help. The NJ Spill Fund may help eligible owners with PFAS treatment[1].
  4. Retest after treatment to confirm it's working.

Buyers and sellers usually negotiate who pays for treatment. A written test result and a treatment recommendation make that conversation easier.

More guides

Buying a home with a well in PAHow to read your water quality reportWell water testing in PA, NJ & DEWater hardness by town

Common questions

Who has to test under the PWTA?

Sellers of homes with a private well (the test happens during the sale) and landlords, every five years. Testing must be done by a state-certified lab.

Does a failed PWTA test stop a sale?

The law requires the test and the disclosure of results. What happens next, like installing treatment or adjusting the price, is between buyer and seller.

Can WÜDR do the PWTA test?

No. PWTA tests must be done by a state-certified lab. We help you understand the results and choose treatment.

Clean water starts with knowing what's in it.

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Sources

  1. NJ Department of Health: PFAS and private wells in New Jersey (July 2025). www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/pfas_well_water.pdf
  2. NJDEP: Private Well Testing Act. dep.nj.gov/pwta/
  3. NJ DOH Environmental Public Health Tracking: Arsenic in private wells. www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/summary/EPHTPrivWellArsenic.html
  4. NJ DOH Environmental Public Health Tracking: Gross alpha in private wells. www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/summary/GrossAlphaPW.html
  5. NJDEP: Private well treatment. dep.nj.gov/privatewells/treatment/

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.