Group rates water quality and offers suggestions for consumers

Editor Published: January 21, 2026 | Updated: January 21, 2026 3 minutes read

A grassroots organization that tracks water quality has given grades to municipalities throughout Essex County.

The municipality with the best water quality was Orange while others scoring well included Irvington, Belleville, Glen Ridge and Montclair. The areas with the worst scores included Livingston, Verona, West Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, East Orange and Nutley.

The grading was orchestrated by Daniel Rudy, who describes himself as a citizen scientist and said he examined reports from the water companies that supply the water and from reports done by the municipalities.

Rudy is the son of a chemist and an engineer by education, with a specialty in fluid mechanics. He has previously worked in research analyzing beverages for the company that owns the Wine Spectator magazine. He lives in Livingston and began looking at the water quality reports from the township.

“I’d seen some pretty disturbing reports coming out of the township concerning tap water,” he said.

All of the water meets the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, which establishes national minimum standards for contaminants.

But what concerned Rudy was the level of some PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, that were being reported in the water. PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) don’t break down easily and therefore accumulate in the environment and living things.

The chemicals are used in many products like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothes, and firefighting foams due to their grease-, water-, and stain-resistant properties. Their widespread use since the 1940s has led to contamination in water, soil, and even human blood, with potential links to serious health issues like cancer, thyroid disease, and immune system problems.

“This stuff is very toxic to human health,” Rudy said. “What we discovered was that trace amounts that we assumed were safe were not safe. It’s a long term cumulative effect.”

Water companies are obligated to put out a water quality report each year. Municipalities are not required to produce a report but many do.

In preparing grades for the water, Rudy works with an oncologist, a pathologist and a person who has spent a career in water purification. Rudy, who currently works creating digital products, created a website called TownWaterCheck.com where the information about local water is available.

“Our goal is to improve human health, improve the environment, and to make generic recommendations for filters that people can use in their homes,” Rudy said. “The two points of information I want to put out to people is (how to find) the report you should look at and how to judge the quality of water.”

People can eliminate chemicals from their water using filters. Certain types of filters – carbon activated filters – they block out contaminants,” Rudy said. “They are relatively inexpensive.” But the gold standard remains R.O. or reverse osmosis filters, which eliminate nearly everything except pure water. R.O. filters can be purchased for under $300.