Olympian Water Testing™

The North Arlington New Jersey water supply history traces back to the mid-18th century, when the area was part of New Barbadoes Neck. In 1755, the first steam engine in North America was installed at the Schuyler Copper Mine to pump groundwater from the shafts, marking an early innovation in local water management. This engine, assembled by Josiah Hornblower, highlighted the region’s reliance on well water systems in North Arlington for industrial purposes.

As North Arlington developed—incorporated as a borough in 1896—residents initially depended on private wells for drinking water. Population growth between 1910 and 1930 spurred municipal water development in North Arlington, NJ, shifting from individual wells to regional supplies. Early systems drew from local groundwater, but by the early 20th century, connections to broader networks became essential.

In 1930, the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) acquired the Passaic Water Company, established in 1849, which sourced water from the Passaic River. Filtered at the nation’s first large-scale plant in Little Falls since 1902, this surface water system expanded to serve North Arlington. The borough operated its own utility until 2004, when it sold the infrastructure to PVWC for $4 million, integrating fully into the commission’s network serving 16,000 residents via 36 miles of pipes.

Today, while some private wells persist, municipal water comes from treated river sources, ensuring safety amid historical shifts from wells to centralized supplies. For more on the borough’s origins, visit the official North Arlington history page, or explore regional context on Wikipedia.