South Orange, New Jersey

Suspected contamination source: unknown

News articles shed light on an issue involving contaminated water supplies in some New Jersey municipalities, including South Orange. PFOA, was found in levels exceeding the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) guidelines of 40 ppt. A test of the groundwater from South Orange’s Well #17 resulted in a PFOA level of 58 ppt.

The town has disputed that PFOA testing results pose a public health threat. In a press release, the town states, “Well #17 water represents only about 10% of the water introduced into the distribution system and it is blended with other non-contaminated water prior to delivery to any consumer. As a result, the water actually delivered to consumers likely has PFOA levels below the guidance limits.”

Additional Resources

• Delaware River Keeper- PFOA
• South Orang Village — PFOA Information

Media Coverage:

• South Orange Responds to Discovery of ‘Likely Carcinogen’ in Water Supply

Full citations are available on the second page of the full contamination site tracker. We ask for your additions, changes, questions and comments be sent to  pfasproject@gmail.com.