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East NewarkGreen Risk

ClosedPublic Works & Infrastructure

2016 Consumer Confidence Report

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The document is the Borough of East Newark's 2016 Annual Water Quality Report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report, detailing the results of 2015 water quality analysis. It confirms that the Borough's drinking water meets all New Jersey State and Federal standards for safety. The report outlines the water sources, including the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission's reservoirs, and discusses the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program, identifying potential contamination categories for the water sources. The report also provides general health awareness information regarding potential contaminants in drinking water and explains regulatory standards set by the EPA and FDA. It presents a table of detected regulated contaminants for 2015 and defines key terms related to water quality measurements. Residents with questions about their drinking water are directed to contact the Borough of East Newark or the NJDEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water.

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--- Document: 2016 Consumer Confidence Report Document ---
1 
 
  
 
 
 
*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION! Your water meets or surpasses all New Jersey 
State and Federal standards for safe drinking water.    
  
*(Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua de beber.  
Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.) 
  
** (Este relatorio contem informacao importante sobre a agua potavel. 
Aconselhamos que obtenha este documento traduzido.) 
 
 
  
The Borough of East Newark is pleased to present you with our Annual Water Quality Report based on the year 2015 
analytical results.  This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. 
Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to be confident that 
we make every effort to continually monitor and protect our water resources.  
   
Both the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental 
Protection (NJDEP) require water suppliers to mail a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) to their customers on an 
annual basis.  This CCR provides information about the water you drink.  It shows how your water measured up to the 
government standards during the year 2015. We are proud to report that our drinking water meets all federal and state 
safety requirements  
  
If you want to learn more about the East Newark Water distribution system, please attend any of our regularly scheduled 
Borough Council Meetings at the Borough Hall, 34 Sherman Avenue, East Newark, NJ 07029.  The meetings are held on 
every second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. 
  
  ***If you have any questions or concerns about your drinking water, please contact the Borough of East Newark at 973-
481-2902.   Or, you can call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.  
 
For information on various water related topics, free instructional materials, and directions to related water links, visit 
www.njawwa.org.   The USEPA drinking water web site is www.epa.gov/safewater, or you can contact the NJDEP, 
Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at 609-292-5550 or at their website at www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply  
   
 
Where does your water come from? 
 
  
The Borough of East Newark receives its bulk water supply through the Town of Kearny PWSID# 0907001, primarily from 
PWSID# 1613001, the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC). NJDWSC gets its water from two of 
the most pristine water supply reservoirs in the country, namely the 29.6 billion gallon Wanaque and the 7 billion gallon 
Monksville reservoirs.  The commission also operates two (2) pump stations designed to pump 250 million gallons per day 
of water from the Pompton River and 150 million gallons per day from the Ramapo River in the Wanaque Reservoir as 
needed.  The water is then pumped through underground pipes to the Borough of East Newark. 
 
 
In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to create the “Source Water Assessment & Protection Program”.  
Each state is required to identify and evaluate all sources of water that are used for drinking water within the state. The 
goal of this program is to identify and assess potential sources of contamination and to promote and facilitate the 
protection of the water sources.    
EAST NEWARK WATER SYSTEM 
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT 2016 
  
NJDEP PWS ID# 0902001 


2 
 
 
 
 
 
  
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has completed and issued the Source Water 
Assessment Report and Summary for this public water system, which is available at www.state.nj.us/dep/swap or by 
contacting NJDEP’s Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at (609) 292-5550.  You may also contact the Borough of East 
Newark at 973-481-2902. 
 
The sources were rated on their susceptibility to seven contamination categories (and Radon), as defined below: 
 
Pathogens: Disease causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses.  Common sources are animal and human fecal 
wastes. 
 
Nutrients:  Compounds, minerals and elements that aid growth, that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  
Examples include nitrogen and phosphorus. 
 
Volatile Organic Compounds: Man-made chemicals used as solvents, degreasers, and gasoline components.  
Examples include benzene, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and vinyl chloride. 
 
Pesticides:  Man-made chemicals used to control pests, weeds and fungus.  Common sources include land application 
and manufacturing centers of pesticides.  Examples include herbicides such as atrazine, and insecticides such as 
chlordane.  
 
Inorganics:  Mineral-based compounds that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  Examples include arsenic, 
asbestos, copper, lead, and nitrate. 
 
Radionuclides: Radioactive substances that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  Examples include radium and 
uranium.  
 
Radon:   Colorless, odorless, cancer-causing gas that occurs naturally in the environment.  For more information call 
(800) 648-0394 or go to http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/index.htm  
 
Disinfection Byproduct Precursors: A common source is naturally occurring organic matter in surface water.  
Disinfection byproducts are formed when the disinfectants (usually chlorine) used to kill pathogens react with dissolved 
organic material (for example leaves) present in surface water. 
 
The source water assessment performed on the five (5) sources determined the following:  
 All five (5) sources were rated high for pathogens, nutrients, inorganics and disinfection byproduct precursors.  
 All five (5) sources were rated medium for volatile organic compounds.   
 All five (5) sources were rated low for radon and radionuclides.  
 Pesticides were rated at medium for (2) sources and low for three (3) sources. 
 
NJDEP considered all surface water highly susceptible to pathogens; therefore all sources received a high rating for the 
pathogen category.  For the purpose of the Source Water Assessment Program, radionuclides are more of a concern for 
ground water than surface water.  As a result, surface water intakes’ susceptibility to radionuclides was not determined 
and they all received a low rating. 
 
If a system is rated highly susceptible for a contamination category, it does not mean a customer is or will be consuming 
contaminated drinking water.  The rating reflects the potential for contamination of source water, not the existence of 
contamination.  Public water systems are required to monitor for regulated contaminants and to install treatment if any 
contaminants are detected at frequencies and concentrations above allowable levels. 
 
If you have any questions regarding the source water assessment report or summary please contact the Bureau of Safe 
Drinking Water at swap@dep.state.nj.us or (609) 292-5550. 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 


3 
 
 
 
  
HEALTH AWARENESS AND WATER QUALITY 
ISSUES 
  
  
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds reservoirs, springs, 
and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals 
and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from 
human activity. 
  
 
 
Contaminants that may be present in source water include: 
  
        Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, 
septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. 
  
        Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban 
storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas projection, mining, or farming. 
  
        Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm 
water runoff, and residential uses. 
  
        Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts 
of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, also come from gas stations, urban storm water 
runoff, and septic systems. 
 
        Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and 
mining activities. 
 
 In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain 
contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for 
contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 
  
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some 
contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More 
information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection 
Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. 
  
The Safe Drinking Water Act regulations allow monitoring waivers to reduce or eliminate the monitoring requirements for 
asbestos, volatile organic chemicals (VOC) and synthetic organic chemicals (SOC). NJDWSC received monitoring 
waivers for synthetic organic chemicals and asbestos. 
 
  
  
      TABLE OF DETECTED REGULATED CONTAMINANTS 
  
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-
compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone 
organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be 
particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care 
providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and 
other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 
 
The NJDWSC, Kearny Water Department and the Borough of East Newark routinely monitor for contaminants in 
your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the 
period of January 1st to December 31st, 2015.   
 


4 
 
 
Test Results for the Year 2015  
 
  
 
Inorganic Compound 
NJDWSC Result 
Min    Max 
Federal/State   
MCL 
MCL 
Meets 
standard? 
Typical Source of Contaminant 
 
 
 
Total Organic Carbon 
(TOC) ppm 
 
1.0 Running 
Average by % 
Removal Ratio or 
Alternative 
Compliance Criteria 
Removal Ratio 
 
 
Removal 
Ratio 
 
0.94    1.0     
 
TT= Percent 
(%) removal or 
meeting 
alternative 
criteria of 1.0 
 
 
 
Yes 
 
 
 
Naturally present in environment 
 
 
 
 
 
 Inorganic 
Compounds 
 
  
 
Violation 
Yes/No 
  
 
Level  
Detected 
R 
 
 
Range 
  
 
Units of 
Measurement 
  
 
MCLG 
  
 
MCL 
  
 
Likely Source of 
Contamination 
 
Barium 
 
No 
 
0.013 
 
NA 
 
ppm 
 
2 
 
2 
 
 Runoff from fertilizer use; 
leaching from septic tanks, 
sewage; erosion of natural 
deposits. 
  
  
 
 Copper 
  
  
 
No 
  
  
   
0.0452 
 
 
 
NA 
  
  
 
ppm 
  
  
 
1.3 
  
  
 
AL=1.3 
  
Corrosion of household 
plumbing systems; erosion of 
natural deposits; leaching 
from wood preservatives 
  
  
Lead 
 
  
No 
  
0.87 
 
NA 
 
  
ppb 
  
0 
  
AL=15 
Corrosion of household 
plumbing systems, erosion of 
natural deposits 
 
 
Nitrate  
(ppm as nitrogen) 
 
No 
 
0.503 
 
NA 
 
ppm 
 
10 
 
10 
Runoff from fertilizer use; 
leaching from septic tanks, 
sewage; erosion of natural 
deposits 
 
Haloacetic Acids 
(Stage 2 DBP Rule) 
  
No 
  
37 
  
23.6-
49.945 
 
  
ppb 
  
NA 
  
60 
  
By-product of drinking water 
disinfection 
  
 
(TTHM) Total 
Trihalomethanes 
(Stage 2 DBP Rule) 
  
No 
  
58 
 
35-76.5 
  
ppb 
  
NA 
  
80 
  
By-product of drinking water 
disinfection 
  
Inorganic Compound 
NJDWSC Result 
Min 
Max 
Federal/State 
MCL 
MCL Meets 
Standard? 
Typical Source of 
Contaminant 
 
Turbidity (NTU) 
 
 
0.28  (highest 
single 
measurement 
1/01/15 to 
12/31/15)  
Average 0.11 
 
100% 
(lowest 
monthly % 
meeting 
turbidity 
limits) 
 
0.28 
 
TT = percentage 
of samples <0.3 
NTU (min. 95% 
required   
 
 
Yes 
 
 
Soil Runoff 


5 
 
 
 
 Regulated Disinfectant 
Result 
MDRL 
 MCL 
Likely Source of Contamination 
 
Chlorine  (ppm) 
 
 
   0.6  (RAA) 
 
4.0 as CL2 
 
4 ppm 
 
Byproduct of Drinking Water Disinfection 
 
 
The Safe Drinking Water Act regulations allow monitoring waivers to reduce or eliminate the monitoring requirements for 
asbestos, volatile organic chemicals (VOC) and synthetic organic chemicals (SOC). NJDWSC received monitoring 
waivers for synthetic organic chemicals and asbestos. 
  
Children may receive a slightly higher amount of a contaminant present in the water than do adults, on a body weight 
basis, because they may drink a greater amount of water per pound of body weight than do adults.  For this reason  
reproductive or developmental effects are used for calculating a drinking water standard, if these effects occur at lower 
levels than other health effects of concern.  If there is insufficient toxicity information for a chemical (for example, lack of 
data on reproductive or developmental effects), an extra uncertainty factor may be incorporated into the calculation of the 
drinking water standard, thus making the standard more stringent, to account for additional uncertainties regarding these 
effects.  In the cases of lead and nitrate, effects on infants and children are the health endpoints upon which the standards 
are based. 
  
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young 
children.  Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and 
home plumbing.  The Borough of East Newark is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but 
cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  
 
When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing 
your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.  If you are concerned about lead 
in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.  Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, 
and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791 or 
at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Microbiological 
Violation 
Result 
MCLG 
MCL 
Typical Source 
 
 
Total Coliform Bacteria 
(%) 
 
 
No 
 
 
0% 
 
 
NA 
 
>5% of monthly samples 
positive 
 
 
Naturally present in the environment 
 
 
Fecal Coliform or 
E.coli Bacteria (%) 
 
 
No 
 
 
 
    0% 
 
 
NA  
 
>5% of monthly samples 
positive 
 
 
Human & animal fecal wastes 


6 
 
DEFINITIONS 
  
 
In the table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these 
terms we've provided the following definitions: 
 
  
  
AL 
 
  
 
Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other 
requirements, which a water system must follow. 
 
 
LRAA 
 
 
 
Locational Running Annual Average 
 
MCL 
 
 
 
Maximum Contaminant Level – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water  MCLs 
are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. 
 
  
MCLG 
  
  
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal – The “Goal” is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which 
there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. 
  
  
MRDL 
  
 
Maximum Residuals Disinfectant Level – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  
There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial 
contaminants. 
 
  
  
MRDLG 
  
  
Maximum Residuals Disinfectant Level Goal – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below, which there 
is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to 
control microbial contamination. 
  
  
  
NTU 
  
 
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit – Nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water.   Turbidity 
in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.  It is monitored because it is a good indicator 
of water quality.   High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfectants. 
  
 
NA 
  
 
Not applicable 
  
 
NS 
  
 
No standard  
  
PPB 
 
  
 
Parts per billion or Micrograms per liter (ug/l)  
  
PPM 
 
  
 
Parts per million or Milligrams per liter (mg/l)  
 
RAA 
 
 
 
Running Annual Average 
 
RUL 
  
 
Recommended Upper Limit  
 
 TT 
  
 
Treatment Technique – A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a 
contaminant in drinking water.