Newark, NJ Water Quality (ZIP 07102)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 07102 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 07102's water at an average of 0 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 07102? A reverse osmosis system (NSF/ANSI 58) removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. For smaller households, an NSF-53 certified pitcher (Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater) works. Standard Brita cartridges are not certified for PFAS.

ZIP 07102 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water system serving ZIP 07102 (Newark, NJ). Monitoring found a peak of 0.01 ppt across 1 system, averaging 0 ppt over 1 detected compound.

Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 07102

• PFOA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in ZIP 07102 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 17 lead samples for the system serving 07102, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.057 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 07102

The water system serving 07102 have 24 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Haloacetic Acids, Arsenic, Total Trihalomethanes, Nitrate, 5000. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

Source: EPA UCMR5 monitoring (2023-2025), Lead and Copper Rule samples, and SDWIS violation records tied to the water system that serves 07102 in Newark, NJ.

Beyond water: other exposures in Newark, NJ

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 07102 and Essex County, NJ.

Radon risk in Essex County, NJ

The EPA places Essex County, NJ in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Essex County, NJ

Census figures show 76% of homes in Essex County, NJ were built before 1980, and 39% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Essex County, NJ

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Essex County, NJ averages 7.6 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Superfund sites near 07102

There are 3 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) sites within about five miles of 07102: Diamond Alkali Co. (about 2 miles); Pierson's Creek (about 2 miles); Riverside Industrial Park (about 2.2 miles). Distances are measured from the ZIP code's geographic centre, so the distance from a specific address will differ. Proximity to a listed site is a fact about location - it is not itself evidence of exposure.

Industrial releases near 07102

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 10 reporting facilities within about five miles of 07102, together reporting roughly 754,200 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.