Princeton, NJ water treatment
What's in Princeton'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 Princeton
New Jersey American Water's Raritan system, which serves about 615,000 people, covers most of ZIP 08540; Franklin Township and South Brunswick systems serve smaller parts of the ZIP[1]. About 15% of the land is outside mapped service areas.
New Jersey American Water reports hardness of 5 to 13 grains per gallon and chloramine disinfection for the Raritan system[2]. In EPA's UCMR 5 sampling, the Raritan system reported PFOA up to 7.5 ppt and PFOS up to 6.8 ppt[3], above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029[4]. It has no health-based violations on record[1].
Local issues to know
- Hard water and chloramine: New Jersey American Water reports 5–13 gpg hardness and chloramine disinfection for its Raritan system[2]. See hard water and chloramine.
- Arsenic in wells: 5.7% of 89,206 tested New Jersey wells exceeded 5 µg/L, with the highest rates in Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, and Somerset counties[5]. See arsenic.
- PFAS: see PFAS water filters in New Jersey.
Utility or well? ZIP 08540: about 15% 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
New Jersey American Water (Raritan system)
EPA water system ID NJ2004002 · serves about 615,430 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations on record[1]
- Lead
- 1 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[6]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 7.5 ppt, PFOS up to 6.8 ppt, PFBA up to 5.9 ppt, PFPeA up to 4.3 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[7].
Franklin Township Department of Public Works
EPA water system ID NJ1808001 · serves about 57,150 people · surface water bought from another supplier
- Health violations
- No health-based violations in the last three years; 2 older on record (lead (lead and copper rule), Jul 2021, resolved; lead (lead and copper rule), Jan 2021, resolved)[1]
- Lead
- 2.3 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[6]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 9 ppt, PFBA up to 6.1 ppt, PFPeA up to 4.5 ppt, PFHxA up to 3.8 ppt, so PFOA was 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[7].
Recommended for Princeton 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 Princeton
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
Question 1 of 8Step 2
Your recommended solution
Based on your water report and quiz answers.
Princeton water questions
How hard is Princeton water?
New Jersey American Water reports 5 to 13 grains per gallon for its Raritan system. We measure your tap before sizing a softener.
Does Princeton water use chloramine?
Yes. New Jersey American Water disinfects the Raritan system with chloramine, which the Puronics Hydronex iGen 30C is built to reduce, along with hardness.
Is RO worth it in Princeton?
Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink reduces PFAS and other dissolved contaminants in drinking water. Pair it with a softener if scale is also a problem.
Book a free water test in Princeton
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
- NJ American Water: Raritan/Hunterdon/Mercer/Somerset typical water quality (PDF). amwater.com/njaw/resources/raritanhunterdonmercersomerset_twq.pdf
- U.S. EPA: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- U.S. EPA: Proposed PFOA and PFOS compliance extension rule. www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfoa-and-pfos-compliance-extension-rule
- NJ DOH Environmental Public Health Tracking: Arsenic in private wells. www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/summary/EPHTPrivWellArsenic.html
- 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.