NJ DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Division of Water Supply & Geoscience

Notice of Rule Proposal
Private Well Testing Act Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:9E
Safe Drinking Water Act Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:10
Regulations Governing the Certification of Laboratories, N.J.A.C. 7:18

PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is proposing amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act and Private Well Testing Act rules.  A statement of the substance of the proposal follows:

The Department is proposing to amend the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) rules at N.J.A.C. 7:10 to establish, as recommended by the New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute (Institute), a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) of 0.013 micrograms per liter (µg/l) and an MCL for 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) of 0.030 µg/l.  The proposal includes monitoring requirements and treatment, as necessary, for these contaminants for both public community and public nontransient noncommunity water systems.  Second, the Department is also proposing to amend the SDWA rules to require public nontransient noncommunity water systems to begin monitoring for radionuclides in 2019.  Further, the Department is proposing to amend the Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) rules at N.J.A.C. 7:9E, and the SDWA rules, respectively, to require testing of private wells subject to sale or lease and of newly constructed wells for public noncommunity water systems and nonpublic water systems for 1,2,3-TCP as well as ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2 dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP).  There are Federal MCLs, which are applicable in New Jersey, for the two latter synthetic organic compounds and, like 1,2,3-TCP, they are potent carcinogens.  Other proposed amendments to the PWTA rules and the SDWA rules extend the required testing for gross alpha particle activity and arsenic Statewide, and establish a requirement to test for uranium in the northern counties of New Jersey.  Lastly, the Department is proposing to amend the Regulations Governing the Certification of Laboratories and Environmental Measurements at N.J.A.C. 7:18 to clarify the procedure to be used by the laboratories to test for gross alpha particle activity in drinking water samples.

The proposal is scheduled to be published in the New Jersey Register dated August 7, 2017.  A copy of the proposal is available from: http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/20170807b.pdf  

A public hearing(s) concerning the proposal is scheduled as follows:

Tuesday August 29th, 2017 1:00 P.M.
Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State Street
Trenton, NJ  08625
1st floor, Public Hearing room

Written comments may be submitted electronically by October 6, 2017 at http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments; or
In hard copy to:

Ryan H. Knapick, Esq.
ATTN: DEP Docket No. 13-17-06
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Legal Affairs
Mail Code 401-04L; PO Box 402
401 East State Street, 7th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402