Is Atlantic City, NJ tap water safe?
Supplied by Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority · serves 152,415 people (7,775 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NJ0102001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Jun 2026. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jan 2024. 2 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jan 2024. What to do if you get a notice.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (609) 345-3315. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jul 2024 to Apr 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.25 ppt 56% of the limit |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 3.17 ppt 32% of the limit |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.32 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 2.32 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.27 ppt |
New Jersey has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 2.25 ppt), PFOS 13 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), PFNA 13 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
29 PFAS tested, 4 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 3.39 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 7.15 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 4 ppb |
| Jul 2002 – Dec 2002 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 1996 – Dec 1996 | 11 ppb |
| Jul 1995 – Dec 1995 | 8 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Nov 2018 – Jan 2024 2 times | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 8.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.063 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Cobalt | 1.6 ppb | 70 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.063 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.48 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 190 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Atlantic City
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 08232, 08401
Nearby utilities
- New Jersey American Water – Atlantic County Egg Harbor · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- Hamilton Township Municipal Utilities Authority Hamilton · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
- Vineland Water & Sewer Utility Vineland · 30 mi · PFAS above limit
- New Jersey American Water – Ocean City Ocean · 31 mi
- Winslow Township Dmu Water System Winslow · 33 mi · PFAS above limit
- Wildwood City Water Department Wildwood · 33 mi
Questions
Is Atlantic City tap water safe to drink?
Most of Atlantic City gets its water from Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority. Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority had 2 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Atlantic City water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Atlantic City water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority is 0 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2026. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for NJ0102001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NJ0102001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority at (609) 345-3315, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.