Edison Middlesex Water Users To Get Water From 'Alternate Source'

EDISON, NJ — Middlesex Water announced it has shut down all wells that tested above state limits for the new Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) standard. As part of their plan, the company will now provide customers with water from its primary surface water treatment and alternate sources.

The company is currently replacing that water supply with alternate sources that comply with all state and federal drinking water standards.

“In conjunction with extensive monitoring, testing and hydraulic modeling, we have turned off the wells and are continuing to keep the wells off as we work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to implement and comply with the change in source water regulatory requirements associated with the interim plan,” Dennis W. Doll, Middlesex Water Company President & CEO said in a statement.

“We take our role as protectors of public health seriously and firmly believe we earn the trust and confidence of our customers with every drop of water we deliver. We are now publicly announcing that the wells have been turned off.”

Middlesex Water is constructing an estimated $47 million upgrade to their plant. The new plant is expected to be in service by mid-2023.

They intend to keep the affected wellfield out of service until treatment improvements are completed at the new South Plainfield facility.

“Since before our water first tested above the new state limits, we have been working diligently on all potential options to provide our customers with peace of mind, both for the short- and long-terms,” said Doll. “We are grateful that our engineering and water quality experts continue to work with our outside consulting partners and regulators to implement this interim plan,” said Doll.

On Oct. 22, Middlesex Water said they detected high levels of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in groundwater samples from the Park Avenue Treatment Plant in South Plainfield. The initial list of impacted communities included a portion of customers in Edison, Metuchen, and Woodbridge.

Then on Nov. 1 they expanded the tainted water notification to include the entire retail service area north of the Raritan River, affecting all customers in Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, South Plainfield, Clark, and Carteret which were previously not included.

The mayors of four Middlesex County townships came together to jointly address the issue and threatened to file a lawsuit against the companies responsible.

Middlesex Water said the heightened reading was due to a new shift in standards by the NJDEP. The NJDEP started regulating PFOA last summer. The company said the PFOA levels still complies with the non-enforceable EPA health advisory level of 70 ppt. However, the language in the notice was required by DEP regulation.

The water company also said they have begun litigation in U.S. District Court against the "party we believe is responsible for the presence of PFOA in our groundwater."

Meanwhile, customers may receive another public notification in the coming weeks that the wells again tested above permitted PFOA levels. This is because these wells were still on during the earlier part of the fourth quarter of 2021, the company said.

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