Is Rockaway, NJ tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
Rockaway Township Water Dept, the largest system here, had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA, PFOS) 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.
4 public water systems serve parts of Rockaway. The largest, Rockaway Township Water Dept, serves 14,000 people, and 2 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
Rockaway Township Water Dept
14,000 people · Groundwater · EPA ID NJ1435002
Buys treated water from Dover Water Commission.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 11.5 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 7.95 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit | 6.9 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 91% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 91% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested.
Lead: 2.57 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.
Rockaway 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 Rockaway township (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Which system serves your ZIP code
Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.
| System | ZIP codes in Rockaway |
|---|---|
| Rockaway Township Water Dept 14,000 people | 07435, 07842, 07866, 07885 |
| Rockaway Borough Water Dept 7,066 people | 07801 |
Other water systems serving Rockaway
- Rockaway Borough Water Dept7,066 people · Groundwater · New Jersey · lists this cityPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected
- Awo&m – Picatinny Arsenal Water System6,011 people · Groundwater · New Jersey · lists this cityNo PFAS above limits
- Hoffman Homes Water System120 people · Groundwater · New Jersey · lists this cityNot in EPA's PFAS sampleAlso: 2 health-based violations since 2016
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Parsippany-Troy Hills 8 mi Parsippany-Troy Hills Water Department | Above limit | 4.2 ppb |
| Randolph 9 mi Randolph Township Public Works Dept | None above limits | 3.35 ppb |
| West Milford 12 mi Butler Water Dept | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Wayne 13 mi Township of Wayne | None above limits | 2.93 ppb |
| Mount Olive 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 |
Questions
Is Rockaway tap water safe to drink?
Rockaway Township Water Dept 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 Rockaway, NJ?
4 public water systems serve parts of Rockaway. The largest is Rockaway Township Water Dept (14,000 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Rockaway tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at Rockaway Township Water Dept. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Rockaway homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 60% of Rockaway 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. Rockaway Township Water Dept'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.