Is Hackensack Tap Water Safe? Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system)’s EPA Records

City water quality

Is Hackensack Tap Water Safe? What Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system)’s EPA Records Show

Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system), which serves about 792,713 people in Hackensack and parts of Bergen and Hudson counties, New Jersey, reported PFOA, PFOS above the EPA limit in the EPA’s UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023-2025). That is the system’s own reported occurrence — “reported above the limit,” not “in violation”; enforcement of the PFAS limits phases in through 2029-2031. Its most recent EPA-record lead 90th-percentile was 11 ppb — under the current 15 ppb action level. The system has 8 health-based violations on its federal SDWA record.

EPA records (UCMR5 2023-2025 + SDWIS/ECHO)
Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system)
Action recommended
Population served (SDWIS)792,713
PFOA vs 4 ppt limit14.0 ppt (5/6/2024)
PFOS vs 4 ppt limit8.1 ppt (8/5/2024)
PFHxS vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)4.7 ppt (11/4/2024)
PFNA vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)non-detect
GenX (HFPO-DA) vs 10 ppt limit (under reconsideration)non-detect
Lead 90th percentile (latest round)11 ppb
SDWA violations on record (health-based)165 (8)
These are the systems’ own EPA UCMR5 monitoring results — “reported above the limit,” not “in violation.” The EPA limit (4 ppt for PFOA and for PFOS) is a running annual average, so a system counts here when the AVERAGE of a full set of results at one of its sampling locations is above the limit — EPA’s own method. That is an occurrence flag, not a compliance finding: real compliance is determined from quarterly samples reported to the state. Enforcement phases in through 2029-2031.
A metro area is usually served by more than one water system — this page covers the area's largest. Suburbs and neighboring towns often have their own systems with their own results; check your exact ZIP for yours.

See the full interactive report for this system — every PFAS analyte, lead and copper rounds, violations, and the filter that handles what was found: open the Hackensack report → Or check YOUR exact ZIP: check your water by ZIP →

Common questions about Hackensack water

Is Hackensack's tap water safe to drink?

The records show PFOA, PFOS above a current EPA limit or action level — the details, with dates, are in the sections above. That is a system-level occurrence record, not a verdict on any individual tap. These are system-level records for public water systems, not a reading of any individual home’s tap, and they do not cover private wells. Confirm your own utility’s current Consumer Confidence Report, and test your tap if you’re unsure.

Does Hackensack have PFAS in its drinking water?

Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system) reported PFOA, PFOS above the EPA’s limit in UCMR5 monitoring — an occurrence flag, not a compliance finding (enforcement 2029-2031).

Who supplies Hackensack's drinking water?

Veolia Water New Jersey (Hackensack system) (PWSID NJ0238001) serves about 792,713 people in Hackensack and parts of Bergen and Hudson counties, New Jersey, per EPA SDWIS records. A metro area is usually served by more than one water system — this page covers the area’s largest. Suburbs and neighboring towns often have their own systems with their own results; check your exact ZIP for yours.

How do I check my exact address?

Water systems report by system, not by address. Enter your ZIP on the water checker to see the system(s) serving it and what each reported.

Statewide, 44.1% of New Jersey’s UCMR5-tested systems reported PFOA or PFOS over the EPA limit — see the New Jersey water page.

Other large systems in New Jersey

central New Jersey (the Raritan system) the northern Jersey Shore (Monmouth County area)

See the 100 largest US water systems, water quality by state, and the national PFAS data study.

Sources: EPA UCMR5 occurrence data, Feb 2026 release (~95% complete; final reporting 2026) (2026-06); lead/copper + violations: EPA SDWIS via ECHO; population served: EPA SDWIS via ECHO (system-reported population served). PWSID NJ0238001. Public-domain federal/state records; assembly by WaterByTheBook. Built 2026-07-25. Plain-markdown mirror: https://waterbythebook.com/md/hackensack.md