Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
BILLS PROVIDING $1.5 million to install carbon filtration systems on two United Water Toms River wells passed the state Senate and Assembly unanimously yesterday.
Gov. Whitman, who last fall ordered the filtration systems placed on wells 22 and 29, is expected to sign the legislation shortly, according to 10th District Assemblymen James W. Holzapfel and David W. Wolfe, both R-Ocean, who sponsored the bill.
Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, R-Ocean, and Senate President Donald T. DiFrancesco, R-Union, co-sponsored the Senate version.
Holzapfel said the funds will come from dedicated corporation business tax revenues included in the Department of Environmental Protection budget. The money will be used for the purchase, installation and maintenance of the carbon filtration systems, which are already being installed.
The governor has set a June 9 deadline for the filters to be installed, and George Flegal, United Water's assistant manager, said yesterday that the necessary construction work is nearly completed and final connection work should be completed by then. The deadline was imposed to make sure the system would be fully operating by summer, when demand for water is highest.
United Water officials have said they have already spent about $700,000 to install the filtration system, and expect to be reimbursed by the state.
The governor's order came after traces of trichloroethylene, a suspected carcinogen, were found in well 29 during the summer.
Levels of about 0.4 to 0.8 parts per billion were found. The state considers water with up to 1 part per billion acceptable for drinking purposes.
Also found in well 29 were traces of styrene acrylonitrile trimer, a chemical compound related to plastics production.
No traces of either chemical have been found in well 22.
Well 29 is adjacent to wells 26 and 28, which capture a plume of contaminated ground water from the Reich Farm Superfund site, one mile north of the well field. Those two wells are already being treated with aeration systems to remove volatile organic contaminants such as trichloroethylene and the carbon filtration systems, which remove the trimer.
The water from these wells is not used in the drinking water system.
The three legislators said they hoped the two wells will return to service before June 8, and that the new treatment will alleviate any fears consumers might have about drinking the utility's water.
Members of the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster, who are helping to study elevated levels of childhood cancer here, have said they would like to see carbon filtration systems installed on two other shallow wells in the parkway field, and air stripping systems installed on all shallow wells.
Source: Asbury Park Press
Published: May 25, 1999
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