Kearny Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Kearny, New Jersey, in Hudson County — a diverse Hudson County community with a historic Scottish-American weaving and textile manufacturing heritage (Kearny was the 'birthplace of American soccer' — the Scottish immigrant community established the game in the US), a major Portuguese-American and Latin American community, adjacent to Newark and Harrison on the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, and a densely populated north New Jersey urban community — draws its municipal water supply from the Passaic River and NJ American Water system via the Kearny Water Division. Water hardness in Kearny measures 146 mg/L — classified as moderately hard.

Kearny's moderate hardness reflects the Passaic–Hackensack River system's calcareous New Jersey geology. The Passaic River above the Kearny treatment zone drains: the New Jersey Highlands (Precambrian calcareous-moderate granite and gneiss of the New Jersey crystalline Highlands); the Triassic Passaic Formation (calcareous red sandstone and shale of the Newark Basin — moderately calcareous Triassic continental sediment). The Kearny distribution infrastructure — older Hudson County urban mains from the 20th century industrial waterfront era — accumulates additional mineral content, producing the moderate 146 mg/L.

At 146 mg/L, Kearny residents encounter moderate-to-hard scale accumulation. Monthly cleaning with citric acid solution is recommended for faucet aerators and showerheads. NJ American Water consistently delivers water meeting all New Jersey DEP and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.