Submit proof that your home water is supplied by the city, which is shown on a monthly water bill. Sensitive, personal, or monetary information may be blacked out. The address on the bill must match the address of your home kitchen.

If you are a homeowner

Submit a copy of your water bill that shows the address of your home.

If you are a tenant

Request a copy of your building's water bill from your landlord or residential complex manager.

If you cannot get a copy of the water bill, ask your landlord or manager for a letter addressed to NJ Department of Health, Cottage Food Project. This letter must include the following:

• The full residential address
• The name of the water company that services the residential address

To prove that your well water is safe to drink, you must have the water tested by a Certified Drinking Water Laboratory (CDWL).

1. Go to the DEP DataMiner page.
   
   
2. Under Certified Laboratories, click Certified Drinking Water Labs.
   
   
3. Contact a CDWL in your area and request a microbiological (total coliform) analysis.
   
   
4. A representative of the laboratory must come to your home and collect a sample for analysis.
   • Samples that you collect yourself are not allowed and will not be accepted as part of your Cottage Food Operator application.
   • If the CDWL does not offer collection services, choose a different CDWL.
     
     
5. After analysis, the CDWL will send you the analysis results report that verifies the safety of your well water.
   
   
6. Within 60 days of the report date, submit the report with your Cottage Food Operator application. Analysis reports more than 60 days old at the time of application receipt are not valid.

A list of CDWL in New Jersey is maintained by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Search the NJDEP database for Certified Drinking Water Labs.

Search for a CDWL in My Area