This report might make you never drink NJ tap water again

When we think of bad tap water, we think of the places that made the most shocking headlines, like Flint, Michigan. But looking at whole states and what contaminants have been found in their drinking water over the course of 11 years, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the results.

A new study from Swiftdrain places the Garden State sixth in the nation for the highest number of tap water contaminants found between 2013 and 2024. With 131 separate contaminants discovered over more than a decade, New Jersey is having a spotlight turned on it for persistent challenges that have been building for years.

New Jersey's aging water infrastructure

What sets New Jersey apart is not only the scale of its aging water infrastructure but the complexity of our environmental history.

Much of our state’s drinking-water network predates World War II, and many urban pipelines—especially in cities like Newark, Paterson, and Trenton—are still made of lead or contain other components that can break down and release metals into our water supply.

SEE ALSO: New Jersey settles $2B DuPont lawsuit over 'forever chemicals' 

Industrial legacy of pollution in New Jersey

Then there’s our industry. New Jersey has thousands of former industrial sites, from manufacturing to chemical plants, many of which have left behind long-lasting pollutants in soil and groundwater.

Heavy metals, solvents, and PFAS compounds continue to find their way into rivers, aquifers, and reservoirs that supply drinking water to millions of residents.

SEE ALSO: Paulsboro, NJ water contamination study 

How New Jersey ranks in drinking water contamination

According to a press release on the study, the only states showing more contaminants in their drinking water in the past 11 years are Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, New York, and Texas.

The good news for New Jersey? While we have some high-risk issues with contaminants in our tap water, experts say we’re also a high-response state. We are recognizing the issues and actively working on fixing them better than other states.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

Report a correction 👈