Is Long Branch, NJ tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
New Jersey American Water – Coastal North 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 – Coastal North supplies Long Branch (377,613 people).
Water system
New Jersey American Water – Coastal North
377,613 people · Surface water · EPA ID NJ1345001
Buys treated water from Marlboro Township Water Utility Division.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 7.15 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Not detected | – | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Not detected | – | 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 72% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested.
Lead: 2 ppb at the 90th percentile (Jun 2026, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 1
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.
Long Branch homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Long Branch city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Neptune 7 mi New Jersey American Water – Coastal North | Above limit | 2 ppb |
| Middletown 9 mi New Jersey American Water – Coastal North | Above limit | 2 ppb |
| Wall 11 mi Wall Township Water Dept | Above limit | 0.52 ppb |
| Howell 14 mi New Jersey American Water – Coastal North | Above limit | 2 ppb |
| Marlboro 14 mi Marlboro Township Water Utility Division | None above limits | 1 ppb |
| Freehold 17 mi New Jersey American Water – Coastal North | Above limit | 2 ppb |
Long Branch ZIP codes (1)
- 07740
Questions
Is Long Branch tap water safe to drink?
New Jersey American Water – Coastal North had 1 health-based violation 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 Long Branch, NJ?
New Jersey American Water – Coastal North, which serves 377,613 people.
Does Long Branch 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 – Coastal North. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Long Branch homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 61% of Long Branch 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 – Coastal North'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.