PARK RIDGE—A $2.2 million bond ordinance was introduced April 12 by the Borough Council to pay for water treatment systems at three Park Ridge Water wells to remove so-called “forever chemicals” that include PFOA contaminants, a toxic byproduct of a larger family of man-made chemicals.
The public hearing for the bond ordinance will be April 26. It was unclear whether new water rates reflect costs for the bond, or if rates will rise as a result. Park Ridge Water did not reply to our requests for clarification.
While total estimated bond costs equal $2,200,000, officials noted $105,000 of that is a down payment on the bonds, which means the maximum amount of bonding necessary for purchasing and installing the new filtration systems is $2,095,000.
Public notifications were sent to the approximately 5,000 customers of Park Ridge Water — in Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake — in late December and again in late March. The notification were required by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Water systems are required to notify customers every three months of water quality exceedances even if the wells or water sources are offline and not in use, officials said.
NJDEP’s data miner tool lists the Park Ridge Water Department among 16 water systems in Bergen County to have received a PFAS maximum contaminant level violation. Research is underway to better understand the nature of the problem in New Jersey.
The bonding and purchase of new filtration systems — granulated activated carbon vessels — to remove the PFOA contaminant from three local wells, was required by the state DEP under new guidelines, or maximum contaminant levels established for PFOA and PFOS.
The PFOA limit is 14 parts per trillion; the PFOS limit is 13 parts per trillion.
The three Park Ridge wells with elevated PFOA levels were moved offline since the exceedances were discovered. In its state-mandated public notice, Park Ridge Water told customers, “On Nov. 23, 2021, we received notice that the sample(s) collected on Nov. 10, 2021 showed that our system exceeds the PFOA MCL at three of our treatment plants. The RAA (annual average) for PFOA based on samples collected over the last year at each of the three locations range from 0.0145 µg/L to 0.0177 µg/L.”
The notice describes PFOA, and ways to mitigate its impacts. Currently the three wells with high PFOA levels are not contributing water to the taps of Park Ridge Water customers. All three are offline and not being used, officials stressed.
“Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a member of the group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), used as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers used in non-stick cookware and other products, as well as other commercial and industrial uses, based on its resistance to harsh chemicals and high temperatures. PFOA has also been used in aqueous film-forming foams for firefighting and training, and it is found in consumer products such as stain-resistant coatings for upholstery and carpets, water-resistant outdoor clothing, and greaseproof food packaging,” states the notice.
“Major sources of PFOA in drinking water include discharge from industrial facilities where it was made or used and the release of aqueous film-forming foam. Although the use of PFOA has decreased substantially, contamination is expected to continue indefinitely because it is extremely persistent in the environment and is soluble and mobile in water,” adds the notice.
The notice states Park Ridge Water has voluntarily monitored PFOA concentrations since 2020 — even before DEP set maximum contaminant levels — and had already taken proactive steps for PFOA treatment at three well treatment plants where PFOA levels appeared to be trending upward. Both public notices issued to customers repeat the timeline for filtration installation.
“We are working toward having water treatment facilities installed at all three treatment plants by December 2022. You will receive additional PFOA notification letters until the water treatment facilities are online and our system’s RAAs are in compliance with the PFOA MCL,” notes the March 21 letter from Park RIdge Water.
“These wells were removed from service following the sampling on Nov. 10, 2021 and will remain off unless needed to meet emergency water demands. The results for the New Jersey regulated PFAS compounds have been provided to you in our 2021 Consumer Confidence Reports (containing 2020 data) which can be found at parkridgeboro.com/documents/department-documents/public-works/1345-2021-water-quality-report/file.”
The water utility notes customers with questions can visit its website or contact Park Ridge Water at (201) 822-3167 or 53 Park Ave., Park Ridge, NJ 07656.