Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- United Water Toms River will e-mail state health and environmental officials, the Dover Township mayor, the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster and the news media when the company draws water from certain wells.
The notices will go out whenever customers' demand for water forces United Water to use an interconnection with New Jersey-American Water Co. or turn on wells 20, 26 or 28.
The notification method is the result of a meeting yesterday that included United Water General Manager George Flegal and Public Affairs Director Ulises Diaz; citizens committee chair Linda L. Gillick and committee members Stefany Gesser and Kim Pascarella; Mayor Ray Fox and Township Committeeman John M. Furey.
"Instead of us being reactive, we're going to become pro-active," Gillick said yesterday. "I think everybody was on the same page today."
The meeting was called after Gillick, other members of the citizens committee, township officials and several residents raised concerns about the inefficiency of the notification system that existed in early May.
At that time, several days of hotter than normal weather caused the water company to turn on the interconnection along with well 20, an Indian Head Road well that contains higher than normal levels of naturally occurring radiation.
Well 20, along with wells 26 and 28, have been off-line for most of the past five years. Wells 26 and 28, located in United's parkway well field, capture and treat a plume of groundwater contamination from the Reich Farm Superfund site.
Wells 26 and 28 are treated with air stripping and carbon filtration to remove contaminants, and treated water from the two wells meets all state and federal drinking water standards, according to repeated testing by the state Department of Health and Senior Services.
Water from well 20 is blended with the rest of United's system, and radiation levels in the blended water meet all state and federal drinking water standards.
But many residents have asked to be notified when the interconnection or any of the wells are turned on, because of continued concerns about the quality of United's drinking water supply when those water sources are used. Gillick and other residents have stressed their belief that state and federal drinking water standards are not tough enough.
Under the notification system discussed yesterday, United Water will immediately notify the state Department of Environmental Protection, Gillick, and the Dover Township Committee via e-mail whenever the interconnection or one of the wells is turned on. Company officials will also notify the Asbury Park Press, Ocean County Observer, WOBM radio and cable television stations 8 and 21 via e-mail.
Fox will be responsible for contacting radio stations NJ-101.5 and WJRZ, as well as other members of the Township Committee. Township Administrator Barbara A. Iasillo will serve as Fox's backup if he is unable to complete the notification.
The DEP will notify the state Department of Health and Senior Services by telephone, and the health department will then notify the Township Committee, the Ocean County Health Department and the citizens action committee by telephone, Gillick said.
She said the notifications via e-mail and telephone provide backup in case officials do not check their e-mail or are unable to receive telephone calls in a timely fashion.
Officials who attended the meeting yesterday at Dover's municipal building said they will work together to stress the importance of water conservation to the public.
United Water representatives agreed to notify Dover officials if water levels "are close to becoming a concern," Gillick said.
The public will be informed through the media that customers' high demands for water may lead the water company to activate the interconnection or turn on any of the three wells.
Fox said the Township Committee will discuss implementing the notification system, as well as water conservation guidelines, at a future workshop meeting.
Gillick said conservation guidelines to be considered by the committee may include odd-even watering restrictions during times of high water demand, as well as public education about the company's evapotranspiration program, or ET.
ET uses information like rainfall, humidity and wind speed to calculate the moisture content of soil. Residents can refer to a daily ET number published in local newspapers to determine how long they should water their grass if they have not watered in at least three days.
Published on May 24, 2001
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