Community Water System · PWS NJ0719001
South Orange Water Department
Operator location South Orange, New Jersey - larger served population (> 3,309) at 16,964 people served; 127 SDWIS violations on record from surface water sources.
- 16,964
- People served (this PWS)
- 127
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 1
- Health-based (this PWS)
- 3 PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
South Orange Water Department standing, high SDWIS violation third
16,964 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 1% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds). Population rank #3,114 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
South Orange Water Department sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (127), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (16,964; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 1% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 3 PFAS compounds (middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds)).
- #3,114 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #101 of 689
- Population · NJ
- 127
- Total EPA violations on record
- 1%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
3 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 4,621
- County
- Essex
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 1
- Monitoring Violations
- 110
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 12 | 2004 |
| TTHM | MR | 9 | 2004 |
| Chromium | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Fluoride | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Mercury | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Cadmium | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Selenium | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Arsenic | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Barium | MR | 8 | 2011 |
| Nickel | MR | 4 | 2011 |
| Antimony, Total | MR | 4 | 2011 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 4 | 2011 |
| Thallium, Total | MR | 4 | 2011 |
| E. COLI | MR | 4 | 2013 |
| CYANIDE | MR | 4 | 2011 |
| Nitrate | MR | 4 | 1988 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 3 | 2016 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 2 | 2014 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 1 | 1992 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
South Orange Water Department has 127 recorded EPA violations, 78% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 22% carry more. 1% of this system's own violations are health-based (1 of 127), and it ranks #3,114 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.
EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus
Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)
127 Higher than most more violations than 78% of 29,740 water systems
the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 8 of 116 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFHpS | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 9/19/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 9/19/2024 | 3.60 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFMPA | 9/19/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 9/19/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 9/19/2024 | 5.40 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 9/19/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 9/19/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 9/19/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 9/19/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 9/19/2024 | 3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFUnA | 9/19/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 9/19/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 9/19/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 9/19/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 9/19/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 6/4/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 6/4/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 6/4/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 6/4/2024 | 6.20 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Detected |
| PFTA | 6/4/2024 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 6/4/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 6/4/2024 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 6/4/2024 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 6/4/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 6/4/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 6/4/2024 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 6/4/2024 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 6/4/2024 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 6/4/2024 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 6/4/2024 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Population served record for South Orange Water Department
EPA SDWIS lists 16,964 people served and 4,621 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.
Sources: EPA SDWIS · NJ DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
Nationwide peers
127 violations · 16,964 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.
Cross-state systems with comparable violation load
Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with South Orange Water Department
Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.
- See how every tracked system in New Jersey compares on the same EPA violation measures. New Jersey systems
- Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
- Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems
EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.