Is there PFAS in Passaic Valley Water Commission water?
Yes. EPA's final UCMR 5 results show Passaic Valley Water Commission averaged 9.9 ppt of PFOA at its worst sampling point, 2.5 times the EPA limit of 4 ppt.
Passaic Valley Water Commission
Serves 310,483 people · 4 PFOA samples from 1 sampling point · Mar 2024 to Jan 2025
Average above an EPA limit
PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid
9.9 ppt avg · max 11.5
PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid
5.2 ppt avg · max 7.7
PFHxS Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid
1.6 ppt avg · max 3.2
Hazard index GenX, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS combined
0.2 avg · max 0.3
Also detected, no federal limit: PFPeA, PFHxA, PFBA, PFBS, PFHpA.
Passaic Valley Water Commission is a public water system drawing on surface water, based in Clifton, New Jersey, serving about 310,483 people, including Clifton, Passaic, Little Falls, Paterson, Haledon, Totowa. Under EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule it was tested for 29 PFAS and lithium 4 times across 1 sampling point between Mar 2024 and Jan 2025.
Every PFAS detected
Not detected: PFDA, 9Cl-PF3ONS, PFDoA, PFUnA, 11Cl-PF3OUdS, ADONA, HFPO-DA, PFMBA, PFEESA, PFPeS, NFDHA, NMeFOSAA, PFMPA, PFHpS, 4:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS, PFTA, 8:2 FTS, NEtFOSAA, PFNA, PFTrDA.
Lithium, tested in the same program: not detected.
What the EPA limits mean here
In April 2024 EPA set enforceable limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, and a hazard index of 1 for mixtures. Utilities were given until 2029 to comply. In May 2026 EPA proposed keeping only the PFOA and PFOS limits and moving that deadline to 2031. Until that proposal is final, the 2024 limits stand.
Compliance is judged on a running annual average at each entry point, so we show the average at this system's worst sampling point next to its single highest result. UCMR 5 results do not by themselves put a utility in or out of compliance.
What you can do at home
Two routes work for PFAS. For drinking and cooking water only, a reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 58 with a PFOA/PFOS reduction claim is the cheapest proven option. To treat every tap and shower, a whole-house carbon system with enough contact time works, but check that the maker has PFAS test data, not just a marketing claim. See the best filters for PFAS and how PFAS removal works.
Other systems in New Jersey
All 266 tested systems in New Jersey
ZIP codes served
07011 07012 07013 07014 07015 07055 07424 07501 07502 07503 07504 07505 07508 07509 07510 07511 07512 07513 07514 07522 07524 07533 07538 07543 07544
As reported by the utility to EPA. Neighbouring ZIPs are often split between systems; your water bill names yours.
Cite this page
Well & Tap. "PFAS in Passaic Valley Water Commission water: EPA UCMR 5 results." Data: U.S. EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, final release August 2026, PWSID NJ1605002. https://wellandtap.com/pfas/new-jersey/passaic-valley-water-commission/
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data, final release August 2026 (PWSID NJ1605002). Population: EPA SDWIS. Averages count results below the reporting level as zero, the same convention EPA uses for running annual averages. Full method.
