Local tap report · checked August 12, 2026
Berkeley Heights tap water: what the 2025 report says
Berkeley Heights is covered by New Jersey American Water’s Short Hills System. We read the latest utility report, the related public notice and federal guidance, then separated the useful numbers from the caveats.
The 2025 contaminant tables mark the listed lead, PFAS and other regulated results compliant. The broader system also records a corrected May 2025 chlorine-residual treatment violation with a limited affected area. The utility’s public notice names parts of Millburn/Short Hills and Springfield as affected. It did not identify Berkeley Heights.
Scope: These are system-wide results, not a test of your Berkeley Heights home.
The rating
Why the public information scored 96/100
This score measures whether a resident can find, understand and act on public information. It does not score water quality or faucet safety, and higher contaminant readings do not automatically lower it.
The official report earns full credit for current results, source and treatment detail, household relevance, and dated help resources. Taste-and-scale context receives 16/20 because the broad blended-network ranges are not a town-specific everyday-water profile.
The supply
A large water system—not one neighborhood sample
- Utility
- New Jersey American Water
- Water system
- Short Hills System
- Public system ID
- NJ0712001
- Report year
- 2025
The utility reports a blend of purchased water, groundwater and surface water. Sources include the Passaic River, Canoe Brook, several aquifers and water bought from neighboring systems.
Groundwater is disinfected with chlorine; surface supplies use chlorine or chloramines, according to the utility report.
Open the official 2025 Short Hills System report ↗What the utility reported
Four results worth understanding
90th percentile; 2 of 56 sampled homes were above the action level. The lead-and-copper program was marked compliant.
Highest running annual average; the report marked compliance achieved.
Highest running annual average; the report marked compliance achieved.
USGS categories span moderately hard through very hard. Hardness is mainly a scale and appliance concern, not a safety grade.
The lead result is a system sampling statistic. It does not mean every home had 3 ppb—or that a specific home had none. Lead often comes from a building’s service line, fixtures or plumbing.
The 2025 system record
A system event with a local boundary
In May 2025, a disinfection-equipment problem at the Short Hills Well Station caused chlorine residual to fall below the required level. The station was removed from service, safeguards were added and it returned to service on May 19. The utility said there was no evidence of contamination and no boil action was needed.
The public notice identified parts of Millburn/Short Hills and Springfield as affected. It did not describe a system-wide boil advisory.
EPA’s current system record also lists recent monitoring-and-reporting entries marked non-health-based. Those records cover the full system and are not results from one town or faucet.
Why this report applies here
The town-to-system link is documented
New Jersey American Water’s Berkeley Heights service advisory identifies public water system NJ0712001—the same PWS ID printed on the Short Hills report.
That establishes which utility report applies locally. It still does not turn a large-system sample into a test of one street, service line or kitchen faucet.
What it cannot tell you
Your faucet can be different
This report covers a large water system. Source mix, distribution conditions, a service line and indoor plumbing can all change what is present at one address. EPA says testing is the only sure way to know whether lead is present in the drinking water at your faucet.
Sources
Go straight to the record
- New Jersey American Water2025 Annual Water Quality Report — Short Hills SystemOpen source ↗
- New Jersey American WaterShort Hills treatment-technique public noticeOpen source ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySafe Drinking Water Information System — NJ0712001Open source ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyUnderstanding your annual water quality reportOpen source ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHow can I tell if my water contains lead?Open source ↗
- U.S. Geological SurveyHardness of waterOpen source ↗
- New Jersey American WaterBerkeley Heights service advisory identifying PWSID NJ0712001Open source ↗
Sources checked August 12, 2026. System values describe the utility network, not a RatingWater sample.
Local refill option
Prefer a large-bottle refill?
Purity Water refills 3-, 4- and 5-gallon bottles in Berkeley Heights. That may suit a household looking for a different taste, less mineral scale or a refill routine; it is not evidence that tap water is unsafe.
Purity’s service details come from its published website and are kept separate from this tap report. RatingWater has not tested Purity’s water or water from your faucet.