Union County’s office water depends on the system that serves the building. Elizabeth’s supply reports PFOA at 7 ppt and PFOS at 5 ppt, above the incoming 4 ppt federal limits, while the regional Raritan system reports haloacetic acids at 53 ppb, 88 percent of the 60 ppb federal limit, and Rahway reports lead as non-detect.[1][2][3][4] What reaches your breakroom also depends on the building’s own plumbing. HYDR8 delivers Union County NJ office water cooler service tenants can verify: filtration at the tap, matched to the exact system that feeds your suite.
Union County water, system by system: the reported numbers
This page covers three systems with published data: the Elizabeth supply (PWSID NJ2004001, about 134,000 served), the regional Raritan system that supplies the Westfield, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, and Cranford areas (PWSID NJ2004002, Union County portion), and Rahway (PWSID NJ2013001, 27,300 served).
Above incoming federal limit
PFOA, Elizabeth supply
7 ppt highest result (range ND to 7 ppt)
1.7x the 4 ppt federal MCL (2024 rule, compliance due 2029); 14 ppt current NJ limit
Source: Liberty System WQR
Within limits
Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Raritan system
53 ppb maximum individual result (highest running annual average 35 ppb)
Limit: 60 ppb EPA MCL
Source: Raritan System WQR
Within limits
Lead, 90th percentile, Elizabeth supply
2 ppb; zero sites over the action level
Limit: 15 ppb EPA action level
Source: Liberty System WQR
Within limits
Lead, 90th percentile, Rahway
Non-detect across 2023 sampling
Limit: 15 ppb EPA action level
Source: Rahway 2023 WQR
Reviewed against each utility’s published Water Quality Report and EPA national primary drinking water standards. Pulled from HYDR8’s water dataset in July 2026. Every number on this page links to its source.
Is Union County tap water safe to drink?
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By the standards that regulate it, the county’s systems are compliant, and the numbers differ system to system. Elizabeth’s supply reports PFOA at 7 ppt and PFOS at 5 ppt, above the incoming 4 ppt federal limits and under New Jersey’s 14 and 13 ppt limits, with a 90th percentile lead result of 2 ppb.[1][4][6]
The contrast rows keep the page honest: Rahway reports lead as non-detect, and the regional Raritan system reports haloacetic acids at 53 ppb, 88 percent of the 60 ppb federal limit, within the rule but close to it.[3][2][5] No system here is in violation.
And even the right system report stops at the property line. Building plumbing adds the last variable no utility report measures, so the only number that settles it for an office is one measured at your tap.
Does Union County water have PFAS?
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In the Elizabeth supply, yes, above the incoming federal limits and below the current state limits. The Liberty system serving Elizabeth reports PFOA at 7 ppt and PFOS at 5 ppt, each against a 4 ppt federal MCL taking effect by 2029, and under New Jersey’s 14 and 13 ppt limits.[1][4][7]
For a port-adjacent Elizabeth office or a western-county site on the Raritan system, the specifics differ, which is why the audit reads your building’s actual supplier rather than a countywide average.
Why filter at the office if Union County utilities already treat the water?
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Because the numbers vary by system and the treated water still runs through your building. Two county specifics make the case:
- The Elizabeth supply sits above the federal PFAS line. PFOA 7 ppt and PFOS 5 ppt both exceed the 4 ppt federal limits taking effect, so an Elizabeth office that filters now is ahead of the 2029 clock.[1][4] Point-of-use filtration reduces PFAS at the tap regardless.
- Disinfection byproducts run close to the limit on the regional system. The Raritan system, a surface-water-heavy supply, reports haloacetic acids at a maximum of 53 ppb against the 60 ppb limit and total trihalomethanes at 67 ppb against 80.[2][5] Filtering at the tap addresses byproducts that vary with distribution position, and building plumbing adds the last variable.
Union County NJ office water cooler: what HYDR8 installs
HYDR8 installs bottleless water coolers and hydration stations that filter your building’s municipal supply at the point of use, matched to the specific Union County system that feeds your address. Multi-stage filtration reduces PFAS, lead, disinfection byproducts, and sediment at the tap your team actually drinks from.
Coverage spans Elizabeth and the port-adjacent office and logistics market, plus the Westfield, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, Cranford, and Rahway areas on the regional systems. Installation, filter changes, and sanitization run on a scheduled service plan. No jugs, no plastic, no guessing.
HYDR8 also covers the Essex County office corridor to the north. See the Essex County office water page for that county’s system-by-system numbers.
Union County’s numbers vary by system. Your building’s are one audit away.
Check your ZIP for the free instant water report, or book the audit and get your building’s actual numbers with a plan to match.
