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EPA SDWIS

Atlantic County Water Quality

Atlantic County, New Jersey

Water Grade

C

Water Score

59.9

Violations

25

State Rank

#11

of 21 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

59.9/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

25

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

6.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Atlantic County

Water Verdict

Atlantic County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.9 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Atlantic County has recorded 25 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 6.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Atlantic County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 25 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Atlantic County has water quality close to the average county in New Jersey. Its water score is within 4.2 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of New Jersey as a whole.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

88.9%

8 of 9 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    FECAL COLIFORM

  • 2

    PCBS IN FISH TISSUE

  • 3

    MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state — counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

499

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

32K

32,029 total readings

Most Measured

  • Microbiological
  • Physical
  • Nutrient

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

37.0cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

43%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom NJ

USGS site
01411000
Drainage area
57.1 sq mi
Long-term mean
86.0 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Atlantic County, New Jersey?
Atlantic County, New Jersey has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.9/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 25 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Atlantic County?
Atlantic County has 25 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How healthy are the watersheds in Atlantic County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 88.9% of Atlantic County's 9 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (8 impaired). The top reported causes are FECAL COLIFORM, PCBS IN FISH TISSUE, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE. Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Atlantic County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 32,029 measurements from 499 monitoring sites in Atlantic County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Microbiological, Physical, Nutrient. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Atlantic County right now?
Atlantic County's primary USGS streamgage on the Great Egg Harbor River is currently reading 37 cubic feet per second — 43% of the long-term mean of 86.01 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Atlantic County water compare to the New Jersey average?
Atlantic County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.9/100 is higher than the New Jersey state average of 55.7. The average water quality grade across New Jersey is D, based on data from 21 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Atlantic County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Atlantic County has a water quality grade of C (59.9/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Atlantic County have so many water violations?
Atlantic County has 25 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Atlantic County rank for water quality in New Jersey?
Atlantic County ranks #11 out of 21 counties in New Jersey by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.9/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Somerset County

New Jersey

C

59.3

Water score

Burlington County

New Jersey

C

60.6

Water score

Middlesex County

New Jersey

C

61.7

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments — state-reported, EPA-finalized.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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