Township Officials Question NJDEP's 'Inconsistent' Treatment Of Moorestown

Moorestown, NJ -- Traces of Trichloropropane (TCP 1,2,3) found in Moorestown’s drinking water two years ago were higher than the traces of the same unregulated contaminant that has been found in Maple Shade’s water, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) said this week.

“The Maple Shade situation is different than Moorestown’s because, while TCP was detected at very low levels at the treatment plant and at their wells, the results were hovering just above, at, or below the .03 ppb level we are using as a guidance level pending adoption of a formal standard,” NJDEP Spokesperson Larry Hajna said in an email. “Moorestown’s levels were clearly above that level.”

Hajna’s response came after Moorestown officials questioned the different treatment Moorestown and Maple Shade have received over the issue.

During Monday night’s council meeting at town hall, Township Manager Scott Carew read a quote from a story that appeared in the Burlington County Times about the situation in Maple Shade, in which Hajna said NJDEP was recommending continued monitoring because the township came close to the suggested standard.

He then compared it to NJDEP’s reaction to Moorestown’s situation in 2014, in which the agency recommended Moorestown shut down its two water wells at the North Church Street treatment plant as soon as possible, after former Utilities Manager Bill Butler suggested the township would turn them off at the end of October.

“We couldn’t wait four weeks,” said Carew, noting that the township’s numbers were 0.66 and 0.68. “However, if analytical issues were not a limiting factor, it would’ve been 0.0013.”

Two months later, the township was told it could only use one well, and in June of last year, it was told to test for TCP monthly, and if the well exceeded the standard, it needed to be shut off.

Hajna said Maple Shade has been “actively” pursuing treatment, but Carew has taken issue with the fact that Maple Shade has not been required to set up a temporary treatment, as Moorestown has.

“Maple Shade doesn’t have to have a temporary treatment, and they’re about two years away from having a permanent treatment,” Carew said.

Carew called NJDEP’s treatment of Moorestown in this situation “scandalous.”

TCP is a completely man made element likely to act as a carcinogenic in humans, according to epa.gov.
However, it is not considered a contaminant because there are no federal standards in place, although the federal government and New Jersey’s Drinking Water Quality Institute are both considering putting standards in place to regulate the amount of TCP permitted in drinking water.

In the absence of the use of its own water wells, Moorestown has had to depend on New Jersey American Water for its water. It has spent about $2 million each of the last two years in water obtained from the water company, and reached a deal earlier this month to cap the amount it would spend on water this year.

Last week, the Environmental Working Group reported that ⅔ of American towns had tested positive for Chromium-6, the cancer-causing toxin that was made famous in the 2000 Julia Roberts movie "Erin Brockovich."

This included 138 towns in New Jersey, including Moorestown, which average 0.50 ppb in its water. However, a majority of the Chromium-6 was detected in the township’s interconnects with New Jersey American Water.

“I’m angry,” Councilwoman Stacey Jordan said. “We didn’t have this in our water, and we were told by DEP to use New Jersey American Water that had Chromium in it. We are being forced to use a water source that is worse than ours.”

New Jersey American Water said all of its facilities have tested below two parts per billion for Chromium-6. The U.S. Environmental Protection set a maximum standard of 100 ppb, but California has a public health goal of 0.02 ppb. California is the only state to have set a goal for Chromium-6.

“We take water quality and safety very seriously at New Jersey American Water. The USEPA and state drinking water programs set water quality standards designed to protect public health and we treat water to meet or surpass these standards, including those set for chromium,” New Jersey American Water said in a statement. “New Jersey American Water routinely tests our water supply for total chromium and all results have been in compliance with the USEPA standards. We also voluntarily sample for chromium-6 in accordance with USEPA guidance. Our water quality experts are closely following this research and if necessary, will be ready to implement changes in our testing and treatment.”

Monday night’s discussion concluded with Carew quoting levels of gross alpha found in Moorestown’s drinking water back in 2005, which included tests of 14.9 ppb, 6.3 ppb, 15.7 ppb and 16.2 ppb. Gross Alpha only recently became an issue in Moorestown, after residents initially raised concerns over the levels of TCP 1,2,3 and TCE in their water.

“The 15.7 should’ve triggered quarterly monitoring,” Carew said, calling NJDEP’s treatment of Moorestown over the past 11 years “inconsistent.” “It should’ve been dealt with back then, but DEP never took action. I don’t know what to do.”

“Why is Moorestown being treated differently?” Jordan asked. “NJDEP is concentrating on something that’s not a safety issue. Two towns have TCP and a lot of towns have Chromium-6. This needs to be looked into. It’s ridiculous, and I’m fed up about it."