waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Somerset County Water Quality

Somerset County, New Jersey

Water Grade

C

Water Score

59.3

Violations

4

State Rank

#12

of 21 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

59.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

4

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

6.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Somerset County

Water Verdict

Somerset County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.3 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

Somerset County has recorded 4 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 6.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Somerset 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 4 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

Somerset County has water quality close to the average county in New Jersey. Its water score is within 3.6 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of New Jersey as a whole.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

194

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

27K

26,987 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

169cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

14%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Raritan River below Calco Dam at Bound Brook NJ

USGS site
01403060
Drainage area
785 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,210 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 Somerset County, New Jersey?
Somerset County, New Jersey has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 4 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 Somerset County?
Somerset County has 4 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Somerset County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 26,987 measurements from 194 monitoring sites in Somerset 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 Somerset County right now?
Somerset County's primary USGS streamgage on the Raritan River below Calco Dam is currently reading 169 cubic feet per second — 14% of the long-term mean of 1,210.06 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 Somerset County water compare to the New Jersey average?
Somerset County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.3/100 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 Somerset County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Somerset County has a water quality grade of C (59.3/100). 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).
Does Somerset County have clean drinking water?
Somerset County has 4 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 59.3/100 and grade C, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Somerset County rank for water quality in New Jersey?
Somerset County ranks #12 out of 21 counties in New Jersey by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.3/100, 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

Burlington County

New Jersey

C

60.6

Water score

Camden County

New Jersey

C

57.5

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.

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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