The Belmont name and where it sits.
According to the City of Garfield's history page, the name came from an octagon shaped house whose owner called it Belmont because it resembled a bell, and the name then spread to a section of the city. The same page says the Passaic and New York Railroad's station stood at the foot of Belmont Avenue.
Today Belmont is easiest to find by Belmont Avenue, Belmont Hill County Park and the Belmont Oval Little League field, all of which appear on the city's street and park maps. Bergen County describes the park as sitting on Belmont Hill, with a playground and a scenic overlook that looks toward Paterson. We found no published boundary for Belmont, so we describe it by those anchors.
Belmont reference points.
Boundaries are not published. These are anchors and not a map line.
| Detail. | What the source says. | What it means for your call. |
|---|---|---|
| Belmont Avenue. | On the city street index. The old railroad station stood at its foot. | a reliable cross street to give when you call. |
| Belmont Hill County Park. | A Bergen County park with a playground and a scenic overlook toward Paterson. | Use it as a landmark if your street is nearby. |
| Elevation. | The city says Garfield spans 2.08 square miles with elevations from 10 to 160 feet. It gives no figure for Belmont itself. | On a slope, mention it. Drainage and pressure can feel different from flat ground. |
| Belmont Hill Tank. | The 2018 city report says well water and Passaic Valley Water Commission water blend there. | The tank is a citywide blending point and not a street by street map. |
Water heater signs to act on.
- Popping or rumbling from the tank, which is often sediment on the bottom. See water heater repair.
- Rust colored hot water or a metallic taste only when the hot tap runs. A tank near the end of its life may need water heater replacement.
- Water pooling at the base of the tank. Shut the supply valve and call.
- Lukewarm water or a heater that runs out quickly. A failed element or a scaled burner can cause it.
- A tankless unit with error codes or weak flow. See tankless water heater service.
Hard water and your water heater.
The city's 2018 report lists a recommended hardness range of 50 to 250 ppm. It gives results of 356 ppm and 436 ppm for the city's well sources and 92 to 160 ppm for water bought from the Passaic Valley Water Commission. The report says hardness causes scaling of pipe and is not a health concern.
It reports no hardness figure for Belmont itself. The report says wells and purchased water blend at the Belmont Hill Tank, so ask the Garfield water department which supply your street receives. If you see white crust on faucets or your heater rumbles, scale is a reasonable suspect, whatever your supply.
Scale insulates heating elements and burner surfaces, so a heater works harder and may wear sooner. A yearly drain and flush of a tank is cheap maintenance. A tankless unit needs descaling on its own schedule, so keep the maker's manual handy.
Slopes, cellars and sump pumps.
Belmont Hill is a hill, and the city's elevation range is wide. Homes lower on a slope can receive runoff from higher ground, and a cellar drain or sump discharge needs somewhere to go. These are general points. We found no source that describes flooding in Belmont, so check the FEMA flood map for your own address before you decide anything.
If you already have a pump, test it by pouring water into the pit and watching it start. A battery backup keeps it running through an outage. Ask the building department at 111 Outwater Lane where a sump discharge is allowed to go. See sump pump service for how a repair or replacement works.
Preparing for a visit on a hillside street.
Note the access.
Tell us about steep driveways, narrow streets and where a work vehicle can park.
Find the shutoffs.
Locate the main water valve and the gas or electric shutoff for the heater.
Read the age label.
The sticker on the tank shows the make and the date, which helps with parts.
Clear the way.
Move stored items from the cellar stairs and the area around the heater.
Plumbing question in Belmont?
Call and describe the problem. We will tell you the next step.
Flush the tap after repairs.
The city's report advises running a tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking or cooking when water has sat in the pipes. The advice is aimed at lead exposure, and it is a good habit after any repair, because loosened debris and air clear out of the line.
Nearby pages.
For the whole city, start at the Garfield home page. Other named parts of Garfield include Plauderville and Bogart Heights. If the line from the street to your house is the worry, see water service line repair.
Questions homeowners ask us.
Belmont Hill is the hill where Bergen County keeps Belmont Hill County Park. The county describes a playground and a scenic overlook with a view toward Paterson.
The City of Garfield's history page says an octagon shaped house was named Belmont because it resembled a bell, and the name spread to a section of the city.
The city's 2018 water report says Garfield's well water and water bought from the Passaic Valley Water Commission blend at the Belmont Hill Tank. The report does not list which streets receive which blend.
The report gives no figure for Belmont. It lists hardness of 356 and 436 ppm for the city's well sources and 92 to 160 ppm for purchased water, against a recommended range of 50 to 250 ppm. Ask the city which supply your street gets.
Mention the slope, the parking situation, the level of the cellar and the age label on your water heater. Those four details help the plumber plan the visit.
Written by the Garfield Express Plumbing team. Updated November 6, 2026.