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 Short Hills System also recorded a corrected May 2025 chlorine-residual treatment violation; the utility’s notice identifies parts of Millburn/Short Hills and Springfield as affected—not Berkeley Heights.
Scope: These are system-wide results, not a test of your 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 safety, and higher contaminant readings do not automatically lower it.
The supply
One large, blended system
- Utility
- New Jersey American Water
- Water system
- Short Hills System
- Public system ID
- NJ0712001
- Report year
- 2025
The utility reports 21% surface water, 25% groundwater and 54% purchased 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.
Open the official 2025 Short Hills 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 incident
A system record 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 notice says there was no evidence of contamination and no boil action was needed.
The notice’s affected area was limited to parts of Millburn/Short Hills and Springfield. It did not identify Berkeley Heights. We still include it because it appears in the current system report and belongs in the record.
EPA’s current system record also lists recent monitoring-and-reporting entries marked non-health-based. Those records cover the full Short Hills System; they are not Berkeley Heights faucet results.
What it cannot tell you
Your faucet can be different
This report covers a large water system. The source mix, distribution conditions, service line and indoor plumbing all matter 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 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 ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySecondary drinking water standardsOpen source ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySafe Drinking Water Information System — NJ0712001Open source ↗
Sources checked August 12, 2026. “ND” in utility tables means not detected; it is not used here when a value was simply unavailable.
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.