Public water system · NJ0721001
ActiveWest Caldwell Water Department
At a glance
West Caldwell Water Department (PWSID NJ0721001) is an active community water system in Essex County, New Jersey. It reports serving 10,759 people through 3,835 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
10,759
Service connections
3,835
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does West Caldwell Water Department compare with other water systems in Essex County?
By EPA's size categories, West Caldwell Water Department is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Essex County has 24 active public water systems. Its population served is about 62% below the county average of 28,269 people per system, and accounts for 1.6% of the 678,447 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New Jersey, the 3,496 active systems average 2,750 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so West Caldwell Water Department is about 61% above that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
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. New Jersey has 582 active community water systems, 17% of the state's 3,496 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 128 New Jersey systems (3.7%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates West Caldwell Water Department?
EPA lists West Caldwell Water Department as owned by a local government. The NJ state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 20 of the 24 active systems in Essex County (83%) are also owned by a local government.
Does West Caldwell Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between December 2024 and January 2026. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 required treatment not met, 1 reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (6 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved, 2 as archived and 1 as unaddressed. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Required treatment not metWQP Entry Point/Tap Treatment Technique Non-Compliance · code 59 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Archived |
| 2025-06-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-03-11 | ReportingReport Sample Result/Fail Monitor (RTCR) · code 4B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingWater Quality Parameter M/R · code 53 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-12-03 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first. Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
West Caldwell Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs West Caldwell Water Department?
West Caldwell Water Department (PWSID NJ0721001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NJ state drinking water program.
How many people does West Caldwell Water Department serve?
West Caldwell Water Department reports serving 10,759 people through 3,835 service connections in Essex County, New Jersey.
Where does West Caldwell Water Department get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does West Caldwell Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is West Caldwell Water Department's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NJ state drinking water program.
Where can I find West Caldwell Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, West Caldwell Water Department must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Essex County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Water Department | Essex | 294,274 | Community | Surface water |
| East Orange Water Commission | Essex | 75,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bloomfield Water Department | Essex | 53,315 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Montclair Water Bureau | Essex | 40,150 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Belleville Water Dept | Essex | 35,129 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Orange Water Dept | Essex | 30,134 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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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, “West Caldwell Water Department, PWSID NJ0721001, New Jersey”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-jersey/west-caldwell-water-department-nj0721001 (data as of October 1, 2026).