Jefferson Pours $3.04 Million Into PFAS Filtration

JEFFERSON, NJ — Jefferson announced last Tuesday that it is pouring $3.04 million into cleaner drinking water through upgrades at the Moosepac Well Treatment Facility, financed through the New Jersey Water Bank.

The project was financed through the New Jersey Water Bank, administered by the state Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.

The work will remove elevated levels of PFAS compounds from water supplied to residents and businesses in the Milton Water System service area. Plans call for a new treatment building with an ion-exchange system serving two municipal wells.

PFAS are a large group of human-made chemicals that break down very slowly, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.” Research has linked exposure to certain PFAS with increased cholesterol, weakened vaccine response, liver changes, pregnancy complications and some cancers, although the danger depends on the amount and duration of exposure. Treating contaminated drinking water is important because it reduces a continuing source of exposure and helps protect residents’ long-term health.

The financing combines federal and state resources to provide communities with very low-interest environmental infrastructure loans.

For local water customers, the investment is more than a number: It is intended to improve water quality and protect Jefferson’s drinking-water supply.

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