Pompton Lakes, NJ Water Quality (ZIP 07442)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 07442 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 07442's water at an average of 0.6 ppt across 8 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 07442? Match the filter to the data: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together; NSF-53 pitchers cover the taps you drink from. A basic Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.

ZIP 07442 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 07442 (Pompton Lakes, NJ). Monitoring found a peak of 22 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 0.6 ppt over 8 detected compounds.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 07442

• PFOA: 22 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFOS: 0.02 ppt
• PFBS: 0.02 ppt
• PFBA: 0.01 ppt
• PFHXA: 0.01 ppt

Lead in ZIP 07442 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 7 lead samples for the systems serving 07442, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.00332 mg/L (within 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.

About the Data

These figures come from EPA UCMR5 (2023-2025) plus Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS records for the public water system serving ZIP 07442. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in Pompton Lakes, NJ

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 07442 and Passaic County, NJ.

Radon risk in Passaic County, NJ

The EPA places Passaic 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 Passaic County, NJ

Census figures show 79% of homes in Passaic 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 Passaic County, NJ

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Passaic County, NJ averages 7.3 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.

Industrial releases near 07442

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 2 reporting facilities within about five miles of 07442, together reporting roughly 5,052 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.