Project Overview
Middlesex Water, a privately-owned water utility, supplies treated water to several communities in and near Middlesex County. In September 2021, Middlesex Water was notified that water from its Plainfield Wellfield exceeded the New Jersey maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 14 ng/L for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The four-quarter average for PFOA in water from the wellfield was 21 ng/L. Middlesex Water planned upgrades to their water treatment system at the wellfield, with the new processes going into service by mid-2023.
Following Middlesex Water receiving NJDEP’s notice of violation, the utility was required to send notice to its customers affected by the PFOA MCL exceedance. Many residents and leaders of the communities were concerned about the presence of PFOA in their water above state MCLs, and the Mayors of Woodbridge Township, South Plainfield, Metuchen and Edison retained T&M to provide technical consulting services related to the PFOA exceedance.
T&M reviewed available information regarding the history of PFOA exceedances for the wellfield and information regarding the nature and history of the water distribution system. T&M provided professional opinions regarding the regulatory requirements, including participation in calls with NJDEP, the Mayors and community leaders, as well as provided on-call consulting services to address concerns regarding PFOA in the water supply. T&M developed a list of questions and answers for Middlesex Water to better understand the nature of the problem and aid in identifying potential options to minimize the effects of PFOA in the water system. T&M recommended that Middlesex Water look at options for increasing flow from its other water treatment plants or interconnects to allow the South Plainfield wellfield to be shut down while the treatment plant was being upgraded. This was the approach selected by Middlesex Water and a treatment plant for the South Plainfield wellfield is currently under construction.
T&M continues to monitor the published analytical data and provided monthly status reports to Woodbridge Township.
