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County water report

Burlington County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Burlington County, New Jersey.

Water grade

C

Water score

60.6

State rank

#10

of 21

Health violations

21

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

92.3%

13 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

357

59,974 recent measurements

Live streamflow

32%

North Branch Rancocas Creek at Pemberton NJ

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Burlington County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 60.6 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

21

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

92% impaired

13 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

32% of mean

North Branch Rancocas Creek at Pemberton NJ

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

357

59,974 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

60.6/100

Health violations

21

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

6.0

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Burlington County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Burlington County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 60.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 21 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Watershed Conditions

EPA ATTAINS

Under the Clean Water Act §303(d), EPA ATTAINS tracks whether waterways meet quality standards for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life (reporting cycle: 2022). A large majority — 92.3% — of assessed waterways are impaired (12 of 13 water bodies) across Burlington County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are pcbs in fish tissue and mercury in fish tissue. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:30:00.000-04:00) puts North Branch Rancocas Creek at 53.7 cfs — well below its long-term average at 32% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Burlington County has extensive coverage with 357 active monitoring sites with 59,974 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Burlington County

Water Verdict

Burlington County, New Jersey receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 60.6 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. Separately, EPA ATTAINS assessments cover 13 water bodies in the county's watershed, with 92.3% listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act — a source-water measure that is tracked independently of tap-water compliance. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was below its historical mean at 31.9% — worth watching in drier seasons.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Burlington County, New Jersey show 21 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 6.0 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 59,974 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Burlington County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Burlington County's drinking-water compliance score is 60.6 out of 100. The violation rate for Burlington County is 6.0 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. Pcbs in Fish Tissue is the leading impairment cause in Burlington County's watershed. With 357 active water-quality monitoring sites in Burlington County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the North Branch Rancocas Creek gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Burlington County has water quality close to the average county in New Jersey. Its water score is within 4.9 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of New Jersey as a whole.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Burlington County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    Pcbs in Fish Tissue

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 2

    Mercury (fish tissue)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 3

    Ddt in Fish Tissue

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Burlington County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Burlington County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Burlington County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NJ)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in New Jersey

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

92.3%

12 of 13 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    PCBS IN FISH TISSUE

  • 2

    MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE

  • 3

    DDT 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

357

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

60K

59,974 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance

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

53.7cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

32%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

North Branch Rancocas Creek at Pemberton NJ

USGS site
01467000
Drainage area
118 sq mi
Long-term mean
168 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

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Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Burlington County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Burlington County, New Jersey?
Burlington County, New Jersey has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 60.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 21 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Burlington County?
Burlington County has 21 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 Burlington County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 92.3% of Burlington County's 13 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (12 impaired). The top reported causes are PCBS IN FISH TISSUE, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE, DDT 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 Burlington County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 59,974 measurements from 357 monitoring sites in Burlington County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance. 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 Burlington County right now?
Burlington County's primary USGS streamgage on the North Branch Rancocas Creek has a pipeline snapshot of 53.7 cubic feet per second — 32% of the long-term mean of 168.24 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Burlington County water compare to the New Jersey average?
Burlington County's SDWIS water quality score of 60.6/100 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 Burlington County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Burlington County has a water quality grade of C (60.6/100). 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 Burlington County have so many water violations?
Burlington County has 21 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 Burlington County rank for water quality in New Jersey?
Burlington County ranks #10 out of 21 counties in New Jersey by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 60.6/100, 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

Atlantic County

New Jersey

C

59.9

Water score

Middlesex County

New Jersey

C

61.7

Water score

Somerset County

New Jersey

C

59.3

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 and 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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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