Fort Lee Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
2.3 grains per gallon
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.2
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.001 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
60.8 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.11
energy & soap waste
Source: USGS Water Quality Portal · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Fort Lee, your appliances are currently losing 5% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Fort Lee | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8.3 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -2% |
| Washing Machine | 12.1 yrs | 12 yrs | — |
| Water Heater | 14 yrs | 15 yrs | -7% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Fort Lee compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Fort Lee, New Jersey | 39.5 mg/L | 5.2 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Palisades Park, New Jersey | 136 mg/L | 10.6 ppt | 🟠 Hard | reservoir |
| Cliffside Park, New Jersey | 105.5 mg/L | 8.9 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Washington Heights, New York | 125.5 mg/L | 6.1 ppt | 🟠 Hard | reservoir |
| Morningside Heights, New York | 107.5 mg/L | 5.2 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
National Benchmark
How Fort Lee compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Fort Lee | 39.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Fort Lee's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Fort Lee, New Jersey, in Bergen County — a major northeast Bergen County community directly at the western approach of the George Washington Bridge (Fort Lee is where the George Washington Bridge — the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, connecting New Jersey to Manhattan — meets the New Jersey side, making Fort Lee's geographic position one of the most strategically important in the entire US Northeast transportation network), historically significant as a silent film era center (Fort Lee was the center of the early American film industry before Hollywood — virtually every major silent film studio operated in Fort Lee from 1908–1918), a diverse Bergen County community with a large Korean-American and Japanese-American population (Fort Lee has one of the highest concentrations of Korean-Americans in New Jersey), and a densely populated Hudson River Palisades community — draws its municipal water supply via the PVWC. Water hardness in Fort Lee measures 39.5 mg/L — classified as very soft.
Fort Lee's very soft supply reflects the Passaic River watershed's highly calcareous-poor geology — the same PVWC supply serving Belleville. The Passaic River watershed (Triassic Newark Basin red shale, sandstone, and the Palisade Sill diabase — all calcareous-poor) produces exceptionally soft water. The northeast Bergen County Fort Lee PVWC distribution zone receives this soft supply, producing the very soft 39.5 mg/L.
With hardness at 39.5 mg/L, Fort Lee residents enjoy very soft water. PVWC consistently delivers water meeting all New Jersey DEP and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Reservoir supply from the Wanaque and Oradell Reservoirs (Passaic River watershed) via the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) — the Bergen County northeast New Jersey Hudson River Palisades (Triassic calcareous-poor Newark Basin red shale and Palisade Sill diabase — the highly calcareous-poor Newark Basin geology; PVWC northeast Bergen distribution); very soft supply at 39.5 mg/L — reflecting the calcareous-poor Passaic River watershed in the Fort Lee PVWC zone.