NJDEP Issues New PFOA and PFOS Standards and Monitoring Requirements

NJDEP issues new PFOA and PFOS standards and monitoring requirements for drinking water suppliers
On June 1, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) adopted new rules regarding the family of chemical compounds known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These rules include new, stringent, health-based drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 14 parts per trillion (ppt)) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS; 13 ppt). These are in addition to the 13 ppt MCL for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) which the NJDEP issued in 2018.   

In addition to the new MCLs, the June 1 rules included the following provisions:

• All public water systems must begin monitoring for PFOA and PFOS within the first quarter of 2021. If a system’s finished drinking water exceeds an MCL, the provider will be required to take necessary protective measures such as adding treatment systems or taking impacted wells out of service. 
• Beginning on December 1, 2021, private well owners will be required to test for PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA under the requirements of the state’s Private Well Testing Act, which mandates testing during real estate transactions for private residences and periodic testing for rental properties.
• Parties conducting site remediation in New Jersey are now required to assess whether these contaminants have been discharged at the site and have impacted ground water. If so, remediation activities must meet the standards established in the Rule.
• All three of these PFAS  have been added to the state’s hazardous waste list.  For properties on which PFAS were manufactured or used, this addition will have significant impacts on due-diligence , particularly in Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). 

To learn more about the NJDEP’s stringent Drinking Water Standards and how GZA is proactively providing PFAS solutions to our clients, visit our PFAS page.