Is Bernards, NJ tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
New Jersey American Water – Short Hills had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
New Jersey American Water – Short Hills supplies Bernards (217,230 people).
Water system
New Jersey American Water – Short Hills
217,230 people · Surface water · EPA ID NJ0712001
Buys treated water from Passaic Valley Water Commission, New Jersey American Water – Raritan, Montclair Water Bureau, Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, East Hanover Township Water Dept.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 6.53 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS One sample above limit | 2.48 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit | 1.8 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 67% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested.
Lead: 3 ppb at the 90th percentile (Nov 2026, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across New Jersey, 110 of 245 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 4 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. New Jersey results.
Bernards homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Bernards township (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Randolph 11 mi Randolph Township Public Works Dept | None above limits | 3.35 ppb |
| Franklin 14 mi New Jersey American Water – Short Hills | Above limit | 3 ppb |
| Livingston 15 mi New Jersey American Water – Short Hills | Above limit | 3 ppb |
| New Brunswick 15 mi New Brunswick Water Dept | Above limit | 1.78 ppb |
| Parsippany-Troy Hills 15 mi Parsippany-Troy Hills Water Department | Above limit | 4.2 ppb |
| Rahway 16 mi Rahway Water Department | None above limits | 0 ppb |
Bernards ZIP codes (2)
- 07920
- 07939
Questions
Is Bernards tap water safe to drink?
New Jersey American Water – Short Hills has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Bernards, NJ?
New Jersey American Water – Short Hills, which serves 217,230 people.
Does Bernards tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA at New Jersey American Water – Short Hills. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Bernards homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 30% of Bernards homes as built before 1980 (New Jersey: 63%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. New Jersey American Water – Short Hills's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.