City of Camden water quality
Camden, NJ · serves 46,585 people (14,000 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID NJ0408001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from New Jersey American Water – Western. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
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 ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA, PFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 9.35 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 12.3 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 30.1 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level1 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 2025.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Camden'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 (856) 549-8770. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Jun 2024 to Dec 2024. "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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 9.35 ppt 2.34× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 12.3 ppt 3.08× the limit |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 6.15 ppt 62% of the limit |
| 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 | 0.61 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.85 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 5.8 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 7.05 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 4 ppt |
New Jersey has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: 9.35 ppt), PFOS 13 ppt (this system's highest average: 12.3 ppt), PFNA 13 ppt (this system's highest average: 6.15 ppt). State compliance is judged on the state's own sampling, so ask the utility or the state program whether it meets them.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 83% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 98% of the New Jersey systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 7 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
Detected in 2 of 6 samples. Highest result 30.1 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.3 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 1 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0.93 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 3.3 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 6.7 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 3.7 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 3.2 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 7.2 ppb |
| Jul 2003 – Dec 2003 | 7.2 ppb |
| Jul 1999 – Dec 1999 | 5.5 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 |
|---|---|
| Jul 2024 – Jan 2025 2 times | The water chemistry that keeps lead from dissolving out of pipes was outside the range the state set. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · WQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance (limit TT ) 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 | 1.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.79 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.33 ppb | – |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 2.9 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chlorate | 810 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.38 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 08101, 08102, 08103, 08104
Nearby utilities
- Merchantville Pennsauken Water System Pennsauken · 3 mi · PFAS above limit
- Westville Water Department Westville · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Maple Shade Water Department Maple Shade · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- New Jersey American Water – Western Cherry Hill · 6 mi
- Mt Laurel Township Municipal Utilities Authority Mount Laurel · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- East Greenwich Township Water Dept East Greenwich · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is City of Camden water safe to drink?
City of Camden had 2 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 City of Camden water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Camden found 7 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 9.35 ppt, PFOS 12.3 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in City of Camden water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Camden is 1 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 NJ0408001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NJ0408001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Camden at (856) 549-8770, 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.