Newark
Newark, NJ water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
newark water department
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID NJ0714001
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Newark is a large city and the largest in New Jersey, home to roughly 281,944 residents. Newark's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve New Jersey: Delaware River, reservoirs, and coastal aquifers.
As elsewhere in New Jersey, the central challenge is pfas contamination. Among the first states to set strict PFAS limits; dense development strains aging systems.
New Jersey reuses an estimated 6% of its treated wastewater and maintains developing reuse programs; Newark tracks severe to extreme drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the New Jersey profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Newark below.
Essex County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~281,944 (largest in New Jersey)
- Primary sources: Delaware River, reservoirs, and coastal aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~6% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of New Jersey in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Newark?
Newark's largest water system, NEWARK WATER DEPARTMENT, serves about 294,274 people. EPA records show 20 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Newark get its water?
NEWARK WATER DEPARTMENT draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of New Jersey's supply from Delaware River, reservoirs, coastal aquifers.
Related water issues
PFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExploreSaltwater Intrusion
As coastal aquifers are over-pumped and seas rise, saltwater pushes inland and contaminates freshwater supplies for cities from Florida to California.
Explore