Short Hills System water quality
Hard27 municipalities · Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union
Short Hills System reports water hardness of 9.8 grains per gallon — 167 mg/L as calcium carbonate, hard on the USGS scale. Because the reading is taken on finished water leaving treatment, it is the figure for all 27 towns on this system rather than for any one of them.
Reported panel
| Hardness (grains per gallon) | 9.8 |
|---|---|
| Hardness (mg/L as CaCO₃) | 167 |
| Classification | Hard |
| pH | Not reported in CCR |
| Total dissolved solids | Not reported in CCR |
| Disinfectant residual | Chlorine residual 0.7-1.0 ppm (distribution); chloramine 0.3-3.0 ppm (entry) |
| Sodium | 5 to 139 ppm |
| Chloride | up to 256 ppm |
| Sulfate | up to 92 ppm |
| Fluoride | up to 0.3 ppm (not fluoridated in most of system) |
| Manganese | up to 2464 ppb (max detected -- notably high, worth flagging) |
| Iron | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
Source: NJ American Water — Short Hills System, 2025 CCR (PWS ID NJ0712001).
Municipalities on this system
- BedminsterSomerset
- Berkeley HeightsUnion
- Bernards (Basking Ridge)Somerset
- BernardsvilleSomerset
- Chatham BoroughMorris
- Chatham TownshipMorris
- Chester BoroughMorris
- East HanoverMorris
- Far HillsSomerset
- Florham ParkMorris
- HardingMorris
- HillsideUnion
- IrvingtonEssex
- Long Hill TownshipMorris
- MadisonMorris
- MaplewoodEssex
- MendhamMorris
- Mendham TownshipMorris
- Millburn (Short Hills)Essex
- Morris (Township/Plains area)Morris
- New ProvidenceUnion
- SpringfieldUnion
- SummitUnion
- Union Township (Union County)Union
- WarrenSomerset
- WatchungSomerset
- West OrangeEssex
Questions people ask
- How hard is Short Hills System water?
- Short Hills System reports hardness of 9.8 grains per gallon (167 mg/L as calcium carbonate), which the USGS scale classifies as hard. The figure is a system-wide reading and applies to every municipality on the system.
- Which towns are served by Short Hills System?
- 27 municipalities on file are served by Short Hills System, across Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union Counties: Bedminster, Berkeley Heights, Bernards (Basking Ridge), Bernardsville, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Chester Borough, East Hanover, Far Hills, Florham Park, Harding, Hillside, Irvington, Long Hill Township, Madison, Maplewood, Mendham, Mendham Township, Millburn (Short Hills), Morris (Township/Plains area), New Providence, Springfield, Summit, Union Township (Union County), Warren, Watchung, West Orange.
- Why do towns on Short Hills System publish the same hardness number?
- Hardness is measured at the treatment plant and at entry points to distribution, not street by street. Every town buying finished water from Short Hills System therefore reports the same value.
- How much sodium is in Short Hills System water?
- Short Hills System reports sodium at 5 to 139 ppm. That matters for anyone on a sodium-restricted diet, and it is also what rises if an ion-exchange softener is added downstream.
- Do I need a water softener on Short Hills System water?
- At 9.8 gpg, ion-exchange softening is generally worth considering.
Get your own tap tested
System-wide figures describe finished water leaving the plant. A test at your own tap is what tells you the hardness, iron and pH your plumbing actually sees.
Hardness is a nuisance parameter, not a regulated health contaminant. See the Learn hub for treatment comparisons, or how these figures are sourced.