Is Trenton, NJ tap water safe?
Supplied by Trenton Water Works · serves 217,000 people (62,403 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID NJ1111001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Aqua NJ – Hamilton Square. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level6 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
- Resolved20 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Oct 2024. 2 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Jul 2021. 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 Trenton Water Works's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (609) 433-4749.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Apr 2023 to Jan 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 Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
New Jersey has its own PFAS limits. PFOA 14 ppt (this system's highest average: not detected), 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, 0 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: 6 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – Jun 2026). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 19.7 ppb (Jun 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | 6 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 3.3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2024 – Dec 2024 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 3.33 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 7.24 ppb |
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 5.57 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Jun 2021 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 10.2 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 2021 – Oct 2024 2 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.081 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Archived |
| Jul 2021 | 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 |
| Jan 2021 | 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 |
| May 2020 | The system did not replace lead service lines as required. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) (limit TT ) Addressed |
| Jul 2018 – Jul 2019 2 times | The system did not replace lead service lines as required. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) (limit TT ) Resolved |
| Aug 2018 – Jan 2019 2 times | After high lead results, the system did not give customers the required information about lead. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · Public Education (limit TT ) Resolved |
| Jan 2018 – Oct 2018 3 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.088 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
| Oct 2017 – Jul 2018 4 times | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.063 mg/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
| Jan 2018 | The system did not complete a required study of how to keep lead and copper from dissolving out of pipes. EPA record: Lead and Copper Rule · OCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation (limit TT ) Resolved |
| Jun 2017 – Jan 2018 2 times | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Oct 2017 | The water was too cloudy too often in a month. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Monthly 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 | 4.33 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 210 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.28 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.096 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.59 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Trenton, Hamilton, Lawrence, Ewing
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 08534, 08604, 08608, 08609, 08610, 08611, 08618, 08619, 08620, 08628, 08629, 08638, 08648, 08690
Nearby utilities
- Aqua NJ – Hamilton Square Hamilton · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Aqua NJ – Lawrence Lawrence · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Florence Township Water Dept Florence · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- Burlington Township Water Dept Burlington · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
- Willingboro Municipal Utilities Authority Willingboro · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- South Brunswick Township Water Division South Brunswick · 17 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Trenton tap water safe to drink?
Most of Trenton gets its water from Trenton Water Works. Trenton Water Works had 20 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 Trenton water have PFAS?
EPA tested Trenton Water Works for 29 PFAS between Apr 2023 and Jan 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Trenton water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Trenton Water Works is 6 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 NJ1111001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NJ1111001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Trenton Water Works's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (609) 433-4749.
- Trenton Water Works website
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.