Madison Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Madison, New Jersey, in Morris County — a Morris County borough adjacent to Chatham and Convent Station in the northwest New Jersey Highlands region — receives its municipal water from New Jersey American Water, drawing from local reservoir sources (Morris County) in the New Jersey Highlands watershed through the NJAW north-central distribution.

The soft 41.5 mg/L hardness and very low TDS of 64.5 mg/L reflect the northwest New Jersey Highlands' nearly insoluble Precambrian crystalline basement — similar to other New Jersey Highland communities (Chester: ~45 mg/L; Far Hills: ~38 mg/L). The Morris County watershed drains the New Jersey Highlands — Precambrian Losee Tonalite Gneiss (insoluble), Precambrian Byram Granite (insoluble), and Precambrian Green Pond Conglomerate (insoluble quartzite). The entirely insoluble Precambrian crystalline Highland basement contributes essentially no mineral hardness to the supply.

At 41.5 mg/L, Madison's water is soft — light scale forms slowly in appliances, dishwashers remain efficient, and bathroom fixtures need occasional cleaning. Semi-annual descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 5.3 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — Picatinny Arsenal (Morris County — AFFF, the dominant northwest New Jersey PFAS source), and the New Jersey Highlands industrial corridor contribute to Madison's readings despite the clean soft source water.