Essex County, New Jersey — public water systems
At a glance
24 active public water systems are filed under Essex County, New Jersey in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 678,447 people served. The largest is Newark Water Department, which reports serving 294,274 people. 20 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 4 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
24
Population served
678.4K
Community systems
20
Groundwater share
20.8%
How does Essex County compare with other New Jersey counties?
Essex County has the 19th-most active public water systems among the 62 counties listed for active New Jersey systems in EPA records; among the 27 with 3 or more systems, the median has 101. Its systems report 678,447 people served in total, the 7th-largest county figure in the state and 7.1% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 28,269 people, about 10 times the New Jersey average of 2,750. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Essex County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Essex County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (18, 75%), groundwater (5, 21%) and surface water (1, 4.2%). Overall, 21% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 79% on surface water, compared with 96% and 4.5% across New Jersey. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, Newark Water Department, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Essex County?
Essex County's active systems break down as 20 community systems (83%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (8.3%) and 2 transient non-community systems (8.3%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (83%) and private (17%).
Water systems in Essex County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark Water Department | Essex | 294,274 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | East Orange Water Commission | Essex | 75,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Bloomfield Water Department | Essex | 53,315 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 4 | Montclair Water Bureau | Essex | 40,150 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Belleville Water Dept | Essex | 35,129 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Orange Water Dept | Essex | 30,134 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 7 | Nutley Water Dept | Essex | 29,500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 8 | Livingston Twp Div of Water | Essex | 27,391 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 9 | South Orange Water Department | Essex | 16,964 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 10 | Verona Water Department | Essex | 13,641 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 11 | Cedar Grove Water Dept | Essex | 12,900 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 12 | West Caldwell Water Department | Essex | 10,759 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 13 | Caldwell Water Dept | Essex | 9,027 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 14 | Glen Ridge Water Dept | Essex | 7,681 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 15 | Fairfield Water Dept | Essex | 7,400 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 16 | North Caldwell Water Dep | Essex | 6,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 17 | Roseland Water Dept | Essex | 5,300 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 18 | Essex Fells Water Dept | Essex | 2,200 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 19 | State Street Grill | Essex | 835 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 20 | Essex Fells Water Hilltop System | Essex | 354 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 21 | North Caldwell - Hilltop | Essex | 208 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 22 | The High Lawn | Essex | 135 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 23 | M&T Restaurant | Essex | 110 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 24 | Mainland Development Corp | Essex | 40 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Also serving Essex County
These systems serve several counties, including Essex County. EPA lists another county first for them, so they are not included in the counts above.
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nj American Water - Short Hills | Warren + 6 more | 217,230 | Community | Surface water |
Essex County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Essex County, New Jersey?
EPA's SDWIS records file 24 active public water systems under Essex County, New Jersey: 20 community systems (83%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (8.3%) and 2 transient non-community systems (8.3%). At least 1 more system is listed under another county but also serve Essex County.
Who supplies drinking water in Essex County, NJ?
The largest community water systems filed under Essex County are Newark Water Department (294,274 people served), East Orange Water Commission (75,000 people served) and Bloomfield Water Department (53,315 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Essex County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 24 active public water systems in Essex County, 21% draw mainly on groundwater and 79% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Newark Water Department, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Essex County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 20 community systems are filed under Essex County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Essex County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More New Jersey water systems
- All New Jersey public water systems· 3,496 active
- Mercer County· 97 systems
- Somerset County· 91 systems
- Bergen County· 51 systems
- Middlesex County· 36 systems
- Monroe County· 15 systems
- Union County· 7 systems
- How to find out who supplies your drinking water
- How to find and read your annual water quality report
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Essex County, New Jersey”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-jersey/essex (data as of October 1, 2026).