Montclair, Essex County
Water treatment in Montclair, NJ
Montclair mixes two very different waters: soft reservoir water bought from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, and very hard water from three township wells, one in each pressure zone. How hard your tap runs can depend on which of the two reaches your street.
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Water quality
What's in Montclair's water
From Montclair Water Bureau's latest annual water quality report. Your own test shows what reaches your tap.
Montclair Water Bureau
2025 test results · public water system NJ0713001
- Where it comes from
- Mostly bought from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (Wanaque and Monksville reservoirs), plus three township wells, one in each pressure zone.
- Disinfectant
- Chlorine, averaging 0.89 ppm across Montclair's system (0.23 to 1.54 ppm).
- Hardness
- Very different by source: the township wells tested at 350 mg/L (about 20.5 gpg, very hard) and the reservoir water at 42 mg/L (about 2.5 gpg, soft).
- PFAS
- No PFOA or PFNA was found in Montclair's own wells. The purchased reservoir water had PFOA up to 4.47 ppt. The wells only run with carbon treatment, and the Rand Well is due for PFAS treatment.
- Lead
- Lead at the 90th percentile was not detected, and none of the 32 homes tested was over the action level.
What it means in Montclair
Wells eight times harder
In the 2025 report, Montclair's wells measured 350 mg/L hardness (about 20 grains per gallon) while the reservoir water measured 42 mg/L. The well water also tested above the recommended limit for total dissolved solids.
Carbon on every well
The Water Bureau says no well will run without carbon treatment. The Glenfield and Lorraine wells are set to run with carbon absorbers in 2026, and the Rand Well is getting PFAS treatment.
Trihalomethanes near the limit
Trihalomethanes averaged 55.3 ppb across Montclair's system, with samples up to 77.6 ppb against a limit of 80.
Our systems
The systems Montclair homes usually need
Complete Home System
City-water homes that want every tap and appliance protected at once
Details about the Complete Home System
Whole-Home Carbon Filter
City-water homes bothered by chlorine but not hard water
Details about the Whole-Home Carbon Filter
Tankless Alkaline RO
Replacing bottled water for drinking and cooking
Details about the Tankless Alkaline RO
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FAQ
Montclair water questions
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Is Montclair water hard?
It can be. The township's wells tested at about 20 grains per gallon, which is very hard, while the reservoir water it buys is soft at about 2.5. A water test at your tap shows which you're getting.
Are there PFAS in Montclair's water?
PFOA and PFNA weren't detected in Montclair's own wells in 2025. The reservoir water it buys had PFOA up to 4.47 ppt, under New Jersey's 14 ppt limit. Montclair runs its wells only with carbon treatment.
Do I need a softener in Montclair?
If your test shows well water reaching your home, a softener will stop the scale and spotting that 20-grain water causes. If you're mostly on reservoir water, a carbon filter for chlorine may be all you need.
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