Essex County, NJ Water Table Trend
Essex County's groundwater trend, from USGS's own readings
Essex County's long-term well puts the trend at 2.8 ft per decade, declining at a typical pace for a declining county, based on 478 measurements since 1926.
One well stands in for Essex County's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 37.2 ft below land surface. Readings span 1926-11-11 to 2026-10-09, 478 measurements from USGS well USGS-404454074202101 (130014-- Neutral Zone Obs), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Essex County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Essex County ranks 1240th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 881,527 people live in Essex County, New Jersey. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Essex County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Essex County's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Essex County's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.