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West Caldwell Water DepartmentWater quality report

Standards for what was found here

5358
Serves
10,759
Connections
3,835
Water source
Surface water bought from another system
Based in
West Caldwell Boro, NJ
County
Essex
Owner
Local government
The ZIP code it serves

07006

PWSID NJ0721001 · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOA was found in four of 4 samples, highest 8.3 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • PFOS was found in four of 4 samples, highest 5.5 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

4 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

What was found, stop by stop

  • Below the health goal
  • Above the health goal
  • Above the legal limit
  • No federal data

  1. At the source

    EPA UCMR 5 sampled this utility for 29 PFAS and lithium from July 18, 2023 to April 12, 2024. Each tick under a result’s line is one sample where it was found, dated when you point at it.

    NSF’s PFAS claims are tested to below 20 ppt. EPA’s limit is 4.0 ppt, and EPA says no certification yet shows a filter reaching its levels.

  2. PFOA

    Above the legal limit

    8.3ppt

    Highest of 4 samples; found in four

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOA ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

  3. PFOS

    Above the legal limit

    5.5ppt

    Highest of 4 samples; found in four

    Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

    • NSF/ANSI 53 · Look for: PFOS ReductionSame claim, other certifiers’ wording: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    • NSF/ANSI 58 · Look for: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

  4. Also found, with no federal limit

    EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.

    CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
    PFPeA6.7 ppt4 of 4None covers it
    PFHxA6.2 ppt4 of 4None covers it
    PFBA5.1 ppt2 of 4None covers it

  5. In treatment

    No federal results for this stop. Disinfection byproduct, chlorine and fluoride levels are in West Caldwell Water Department’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.

  6. In the pipes

    No lead and copper results on file with EPA for this utility.

  7. At your tap

    The last stretch is your own plumbing. A certified lab test is the only way to know what reaches your glass. Lead in your water: what to do

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from July 18, 2023 to April 12, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

All 26 compounds tested and not found
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • Lead
  • Lithium
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBS
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Lead and Copper RuleWater chemistry used to keep pipes from corroding was outside the required range.EPA: WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-ComplianceJuly 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025—Archived
Lead and Copper RuleWater chemistry used to keep pipes from corroding was outside the required range.EPA: WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-ComplianceJuly 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024—Archived
Lead and Copper RuleWater chemistry used to keep pipes from corroding was outside the required range.EPA: WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-ComplianceJan. 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024—Archived
TTHMThe running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, AverageJuly 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 20200.083 MG/LResolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 15 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

What handles it

A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”

  • NSF/ANSI 53

    Claims: PFOA Reduction, PFOS Reduction

    For: PFOA, PFOS

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)

    For: PFOA, PFOS

At the tap, or for the whole house?

These come with the water itself, so a whole-house system certified for the same claims treats every tap and shower. A filter at the tap treats drinking water for much less. How whole-house systems compare.

Compare five-year costs

Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing

TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money

What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in West Caldwell Water Department’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from July 18, 2023 to April 12, 2024.

Other New Jersey utilities

All New Jersey utilities

Sources

What to do next

  1. Start with PFOA

    What each marked result does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.

  2. Read the utility’s own report

    West Caldwell Water Department must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.

  3. Test your own tap for lead

    Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.

  4. Compare five-year costs

    What the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.