PlainWater
States → New Jersey

Community Water System · PWS NJ1921001

Sussex W Dept

Sussex, New Jersey 07461 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 2,201 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

2,201
People served
278
EPA violations
132
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 278 drinking-water violations at Sussex W Dept, 47% of them health-based - above the New Jersey per-system average.

278
Total EPA violations on record
47%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
2,201
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Sussex W Dept

Sussex W Dept is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,201 residents in Sussex, New Jersey (Sussex County) through 770 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 278 total violations for this system , of which 132 (47%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 130 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is TTHM, recorded in 54 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across New Jersey, EPA tracks 3,428 public water systems serving 9,570,926 people, with 204,988 cumulative violations and 22,229 health-based violations on record. About 95% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 59.8 violations. Statewide, 208 of 264 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (78.8%).

Sussex W Dept's 278 violations sit above the New Jersey average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
2,201
Total Violations
278
Health-Based Violations
132
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
770
County
Sussex
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
77
Monitoring Violations
130
Treatment Tech Violations
55

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
TTHM MCL 54 2017
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 32 2018
Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 28 2024
Lead and Copper Rule MR 24 2023
Lead and Copper Rule TT 17 2025
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 16 2017
Coliform (TCR) MR 10 2016
Nitrate MR 10 1994
E. COLI MR 9 2018
TTHM MR 8 2024
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 2018
Mercury MR 6 2014
Fluoride MR 6 2014
Coliform (TCR) MCL 6 2011
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 6 2014
Cadmium MR 4 1989
Arsenic MR 4 1989
Barium MR 4 1989
Selenium MR 4 1989
Chlorine MR 4 2025
Chromium MR 4 1989
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 2018
CYANIDE MR 2 2014
Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 2017
Public Notice Other 2 2016
Chlorite MCL 1 2025

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Sussex W Dept.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID NJ1921001 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

New Jersey Drinking Water Authority

NJ DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Sussex W Dept under EPA-delegated authority.

Open NJ regulator portal

Source: NJ DEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2025 Lead and Copper Rule TT 17 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 5000
2025 Chlorine MR 4 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 0999
2025 Chlorite MCL 1 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 1009
2024 Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 28 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 0200
2024 TTHM MR 8 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 2950
2023 Lead and Copper Rule MR 24 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 5000
2018 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 32 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 0300
2018 E. COLI MR 9 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 3014
2018 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 7000
2018 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 3 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 2456
2017 TTHM MCL 54 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 2950
2017 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 16 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 2456
2017 Revised Total Coliform Rule Other 2 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 8000
2016 Coliform (TCR) MR 10 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 3100
2016 Public Notice Other 2 SDWIS / NJ1921001 / 7500

How Sussex W Dept Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Sussex W Dept New Jersey avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 278 59.8 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 132 6.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 78.8% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 2,201 2,792 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,428 regulated public water systems in New Jersey.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sussex W Dept water safe to drink? ▼
Sussex W Dept (PWS ID: NJ1921001) has 278 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 2,201 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Sussex W Dept serve? ▼
Sussex W Dept serves 2,201 people in Sussex, New Jersey. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 770 service connections.
What type of violations does Sussex W Dept have? ▼
Sussex W Dept has 278 total violations: 132 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 130 monitoring/reporting violations, and 55 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Sussex W Dept water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Sussex W Dept under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Sussex W Dept use? ▼
Sussex W Dept uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.