South Orange Updates Residents on Water Issue

South Orange’s recent troubles with East Orange Water Commission (EOWC) were addressed on Thursday at a public forum in front of many concerned residents.  Recently, Tetrachloroethylene has been found in local water.  Karen Fell of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Perry Cohn of the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services gave a presentation and spoke to the crowd to help ease fears and answer questions.

According to the presentation, Tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, is a volatile organic compound (VOC), colorless liquid, used primarily as a solvent in dry cleaning, but also as a degreasing solvent in mental industries in the synthesis of other compounds.  The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PCE is 1 part per billion (ppb) and the health effects of PCE are measured in 2 liters per day for 70 years.  The estimated excess lifetime cancer risk at the MCL of 1 ppb is 2 in one million additional risk of cancer. 

Since February 2010, the MCL for South Orange has ranged from 0.304 ppb to 3.46 ppb.  The NJDEP has issued three notices of non-compliances to EOWC before issuing a notice of violation on June 9, 2011.  Regulations allow one year to remedy either by installing a treatment, which could extend the remedy period to two years if construction is involved, or an engineered solution.

“The thing I really want to stress that the levels that are present in the South Orange and the East Orange water system, those levels do not cause any kind of immediate health risk,” Fell told the crowd.  “I just had a glass of water, Perry’s got a glass of water, and seriously you can drink the water.  I’m drinking it, these are very low levels.”

Following Fell’s presentation, the residents at Village Hall were allowed to ask questions of the officials.  Among the questions posed was whether water is entering the Village at different entry points, are the levels acceptable and whether skin exposure was dangerous.

Some information given by Fell and Cohn included:

• The water is not entering the South Orange system through different entry points
• At 3.46 ppb (January 2011’s levels), the estimated excess lifetime cancer risk is 9 in one million additional risk of cancer
• Dermal exposure is going to be slight (showers, baths, etc)
• However, being in the bath for prolonged periods of time is not recommended as a precaution
• Studies indicate that breathing it in (steam) can be the equivalent of drinking half to twice the amount of average water intake a day
• A violation listed in the 2007 annual report is likely a mistake
• The levels are above the New Jersey MCL of 1, but below the United States MCL of 5
• NJDEP has asked for a plan by EOWC of how to fix the water
• The NJDEP does not test water from individual households

Karen Fell can be reached at 609-292-5550

Perry Cohn can be reached at 609-826-4984

The full video of the public forum can be viewed here.