Customers in six cities in Middlesex County have been warned of toxic and potentially harmful chemicals in their drinking water.
Middlesex Water Company announced on Monday that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) levels in the water of all of its customers in South Plainfield, Clark, Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge and Carteret have exceeded acceptable government standards.
PFOAs are part of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of thousands of chemicals found in a range of products from nonstick cookware to fire-fighting foam. PFAS have been linked to cancer, immune system problems, and other health effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Jersey regulates three of the most common PFAS: PFOA, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). The PFOA and PFOS rules were enacted last summer, while PFNA has been regulated since 2018.
Drinking water systems are not manufacturers or users of PFAS. Instead, they are potential recipients of these chemicals, which are used by manufacturers and consumers. However, the systems are responsible for managing PFAS traces from sources such as industrial wastewater, landfills, and runoff from spring water such as lakes, rivers and groundwater, the company said in a statement.
The company received notification in early September that its treatment facility in South Plainfield had exceeded the PFOA limit based on quarterly sampling for the first three quarters of the year.
The results were 25 parts per trillion (ppt), 23 ppt and 36 ppt, respectively, the company said. One ppt is equal to one drop of water in 20 Olympic swimming pools.
“Last year, the NJDEP passed an enforceable regulation or maximum contamination level for PFOA of 14 ppt based on the best available science,” the water company said.
The company added it anticipates the water supply will continue to exceed accepted levels until a new treatment for the chemical is up and running. The company is working on a $ 47 million upgrade to its facility that will use granulated activated carbon (GAC) filtration to bring PFOA levels back to acceptable levels. The GAC filtration is scheduled to go into operation by mid-2023.
People who drink water that contains PFOA above the limit over time are at increased risk of “harmful health effects” over time, the Middlesex Water Company said in a statement.
“If you have specific health concerns, have a severely compromised immune system, have a child, are pregnant or are elderly, you may be at higher risk than other people and should seek advice from your healthcare provider about drinking water that contains the exceeds government standards for PFOA, ”the company said.
According to the New Jersey Department of Health’s PFAS factsheet, exposure to PFOA from other household uses of water such as showering, bathing, washing clothes, gardening vegetables, washing dishes, or washing vegetables is “not significant”.
Middlesex Water Company is not the first municipal or individual water system to register violations of PFAS.
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Chris Sheldon can be reached at [email protected].
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