PFAS Water Filtration in Central New Jersey

Start with the numbers that apply to you

PFAS are measured in parts per trillion (ppt), a unit a thousand times smaller than the parts per billion used for lead or arsenic. Two sets of limits matter in New Jersey right now, and they are not the same.

• New Jersey MCLs (in force): PFOA 14 ppt, PFOS 13 ppt, PFNA 13 ppt. These are the limits shown in the tables of local utility reports.
• Federal MCLs (finalized April 2024): EPA set 4.0 ppt each for PFOA and PFOS, with a compliance date of April 26, 2029.
• Proposed federal extension (May 2026): EPA proposed letting eligible systems seek more time, to April 26, 2031. As of this writing that is a proposal, not a final rule (EPA).

What area utility reports have published

Every figure below comes from the named utility's own annual report, and every one is within the New Jersey limits. Several sit above 4.0 ppt, the federal number that takes effect later. That gap, between meeting today's state standard and the stricter federal one, is why many people here ask about home PFAS filtration.

• East Brunswick Water Utility (2025 report, 2023 results): PFOA running average 3.49 ppt, PFOS 3.52 ppt.
• Middlesex Water (2026 report, 2025 data): PFOA average 2.9 ppt (ND to 7), PFOS average 1.8 ppt (ND to 5). A treatment upgrade at its South Plainfield (Park Avenue) wellfield was completed in June 2023. See Woodbridge.
• City of New Brunswick (2026 report): PFOA highest running average 6.6 ppt (range 5.1 to 10.5), PFOS 4.2 ppt. See New Brunswick.
• Monroe Township Utility (2025 report, 2024 results): PFOA average 7.68 ppt (highest 12), PFOS average 3.3 ppt, no violation reported. See Monroe.
• New Jersey American Water, Raritan System (2025 report): PFOA highest compliance result 7 ppt, PFOS 6 ppt. See Piscataway.
• Edison Water Utility (2025 report, 2024 data): PFOA up to 6 ppt, PFOS up to 5 ppt.
• Gordon's Corner Water Company (2025 report): PFOA max 4.6 ppt, PFOS max 2.4 ppt.

Private wells: nobody tests for you

On public water, the utility samples and publishes. On a private well, the household is the water system. New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act has required PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS on the test list since December 1, 2021, so any well tested for a home sale or under the landlord rule after that date should already have results. Landlords must retest every five years and share the results with tenants.

Results can vary well to well within a single township. Hillsborough's health department reported that of 71 wells tested for the newer PFAS parameters, more than 10% failed for PFOS and for PFOA. That does not describe any particular house, which is the point: the only way to know about yours is a certified lab result. Our water testing page covers how that works, and the Hillsborough page has more on local wells.

Three technologies that reduce PFAS at home

Boiling does not help; it concentrates PFAS slightly as water evaporates. Softeners, sediment cartridges, and UV lamps do not target them either. The methods that do are below.

Reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap

A semi-permeable membrane rejects the large majority of PFAS molecules along with many other dissolved substances. Because most exposure guidance focuses on water you drink and cook with, an under-sink RO unit is often the most practical first step. It produces a modest amount of water per day, sends some reject water to the drain, and needs prefilter and membrane changes on schedule.

Granular activated carbon (GAC)

Carbon adsorbs PFOA and PFOS well, but shorter-chain PFAS break through sooner, and carbon fills up faster on PFAS than it would on chlorine alone. For a point-of-entry setup, installers sometimes use two tanks in series with a sample port between them, so a lab can confirm when the first tank stops doing its job. This is a different design goal from the taste-and-odor carbon described on our whole-house filtration page.

PFAS-selective ion exchange resin

Specialty resins grab PFAS ions and can hold more per cubic foot than carbon for some compounds. They are usually single-use media rather than something regenerated with salt, so replacement cost and schedule are part of the decision. Resin is more common on wells and larger systems than in a typical city home.

Reading a PFAS claim on a product

Look for certification under NSF/ANSI 53 (filters) or NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis) that names PFOA and PFOS reduction for that specific model. A general carbon certification for chlorine taste says nothing about PFAS. Listings also specify a rated capacity in gallons; once that volume has passed through, the claim no longer holds, whatever the filter looks like.

Whole-house systems with a PFAS certification are less common than under-sink units. If a point-of-entry design is proposed, ask how its performance will be verified, which normally means a follow-up lab sample after installation and at intervals afterward.

A practical decision path

Find your latest result first: the utility report on public water, or the lab sheet on a well. Compare it to the state limits and to 4.0 ppt. Decide whether you want drinking and cooking water treated, or everything in the house. Pick certified equipment for that goal, then retest after it is installed to confirm the reduction. Skipping the retest is the most common gap we hear about.

What happens after you reach out

Send the form with your ZIP and water source. An independent water treatment provider who works locally will call or email, go over your report or arrange lab testing, and give you options in plain terms, including the option of doing nothing yet. The consultation costs nothing; any lab fee is quoted before a sample is sent.

If equipment goes in, New Jersey treats installing or disconnecting filtration as plumbing work (N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.4). A licensed master plumber or authorized plumbing contractor does it, and you are entitled to see that license.