Clifton Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Clifton, New Jersey, in Passaic County adjacent to Paterson and Passaic, draws its municipal water supply through the City of Clifton Water Department and the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC), sourcing from the Passaic River and the Wanaque Reservoir (Wanaque River — a Passaic River tributary in the New Jersey Highlands, impounded at Wanaque) in Passaic County. The PVWC serves Clifton and other Passaic Valley communities with treated Passaic River and Wanaque Reservoir supply. Water hardness measures 106 mg/L — classified as moderately hard.

Clifton's moderate hardness reflects the Passaic River watershed geology in Passaic County. The Wanaque Reservoir drains the New Jersey Highlands — underlain by Precambrian Franklin Marble (a famous high-purity crystalline marble in Franklin, NJ) and Losee Granitic Gneiss metamorphic terrain. The Passaic River itself flows through the Newark Triassic Basin (Newark Group — Brunswick Formation red sandstone and mudstone with calcite cement) — contributing moderate calcium from the calcareous Triassic basin fill. The blend of New Jersey Highlands and Newark Basin drainage produces moderate hardness at the Passaic Valley intakes, resulting in the 106 mg/L finished water in Clifton.

With hardness at 106 mg/L, Clifton residents encounter moderate scale accumulation. Faucet aerators and showerheads develop deposits after several months — monthly cleaning with citric acid solution is practical maintenance. Dishwashers produce clean glassware with moderate rinse-aid use. PVWC and City of Clifton Water Department consistently deliver water meeting all NJDEP and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.