Orange Water Safe According to EPA
City Of Orange and Suez Activate Plan Address Drinking Water Standard
Orange water is safe to drink and use for all purposes.
According to the EPA’s Health Advisory Level, Orange water continues to be acceptable for all uses.
The US Environmental Protection Agency does not currently have federal MCLs (maximum contaminant levels) for PFAS compounds. It does have a lifetime 70 ppt (parts per trillion) health advisory level for the sum of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. To put into perspective, 1 ppt is equivalent to about 30 seconds out of every million years. The PFOA and PFOS in Orange drinking water is well below the 70 ppt EPA health advisory level. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most people have been exposed to some types of PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) established a much stricter MCL for PFNA at 13 ppt. On March 31, 2020, NJDEP adopted MCLs for PFOA at 14 ppt and PFOS at 13 ppt in addition to the existing regulations on PFNA. Utilities are required to start monitoring for PFOA and PFOS in addition to PFNA and report quarterly results to the state after January 1, 2021. First quarter results for the City of Orange Township show that PFOA levels are 23 ppt, or 9 ppt above the strict NJDEP level, but well below the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70 ppt. The City is confident that the new solutions introduced over the next year will assist in removing PFOA from the drinking water and getting the PFOA level down under the strict NJDEP standard.
Mayor Dwayne D. Warren stated, “I am pleased to report that based on state and national standards, our water is safe for drinking and bathing. I encourage water consumers to continue to be guided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on water quality issues. The EPA is the government agency responsible for setting the legal limits for contaminants in tap water and overseeing overall water quality. The EPA tests regularly and has determined that Orange water is safe.” Please stay tuned as we implement periodic upgrades to maintain our water quality.
###
