NEW JERSEY’S PRIVATE WELL TESTING ACT: GEOGRAPHIC SUMMARY AND RECENT COMMUNITY INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES

New Jersey’s Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) commenced in September 2002. It is the nation’s first and among only a few state-run private well testing programs. In an effort to protect human health, the Act requires that source water from private wells be tested before the closing of any real-estate transaction or new lease agreement. The Act requires the testing of Avarious water-quality parameters, 36 of which are of human health concern. Parameters include total coliform, nitrate/nitrate, leadA, mercury, and arsenic, among others. The NJDEP uses the data collected through the Act to evaluate groundwater quality throughout the State and to inform municipalities, counties, and other government entities of potential hazards. This presentation will include an overview of the NJ PWTA, including recent expansion, and results showing the geographic variability in the concentration of parameters in relation to drinking water standards or optimal ranges. Data from over 95,000 individual wells sampled throughout the state between September 2002 and December 2017 will be presented. Arsenic concentrations will be specifically highlighted since roughly 9.5% of all tested wells exceed the NJ MCL of 5 µg/L. This presentation will also highlight the Departments online interactive map and recent outreach activities.