Musconetcong Watershed Association 
2005 Well Testing Program Results

Note: For more information on the tests and the health effects associated with drinking contaminated water see the Winter 2005 edition of the Musconetcong River News or see a summary of health effects.

Throughout 2005 the Musconetcong Watershed Association sponsored a Well Testing Program to raise awareness of the importance and availability of well testing and to establish a database of values for total coliform bacteria and nitrate concentrations in wells in the watershed. The project was funded by Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association's Watershed Institute Grant program. A total of 63 participants had their drinking water tested at reduced rate through an agreement between the MWA and QC Laboratories of Southampton Pennsylvania. We are pleased to report that the samples tested, which ranged from the very northwestern end of the watershed (Budd Lake and Allamuchy) to those tested near the confluence with the Delaware River (Holland and Pohatcong), gave an overall picture of a healthy groundwater supply.

All participants were required to have their water tested for the presence of total coliform bacteria. Fecal coliform bacteria live in the digestive tracts of warm-blooded animals and can cause disease when present in drinking water. Because fecal coliform are difficult to test for, "Total Coliform" is tested for instead and further confirmatory testing is performed if this screening test is positive. A household water supply is considered safe when results are negative or when <1 colony of bacteria/100 mL is found. In the event of a positive result, further testing is necessary to determine of the bacteria found is capable of causing disease (e.g. e.coli.). Three households tested positive for the presence of bacteria, one in Port Murray, one in Franklin Township and one in Lebanon Township. Follow up testing showed that only the water supply in Lebanon contained e. coli, an organism that can present a health risk. Homeowners in all cases were advised as to procedures for remediation.

The second required test for all program participants was Nitrate. None of the participating households had a "Maximum Contaminant Limit" (MCL) of greater than 10 mg/l, considered the highest acceptable limit of Nitrate content in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Nitrate can enter drinking water through fertilizer runoff from farms or from contamination of drinking water with sewerage. The highest level found in our testing was 8.7 mg/l which was found in Franklin Township.

A test for the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was not required, but 33 paraticipating homeowners chose to test their dinking water for these compounds. VOCs are industrial and fuel-related compounds that can enter the water supply through leaking underground storage tanks, landfills, industrial facilities or hazardous waste sites. Each water sample was tested for the presence of 58 different compounds. Only one household in the thirty three tested had a positive result. This one household tested positive for a very low level of methyl tertiary butyl ether, the gasoline additive commonly known as MTBE. The Franklin Township well tested 1.30microgram/l; the cutoff for drinking water to be considered safe is 70 micrograms/l.

A test for the presence of lead was chosen by 47 participants. The MCL for lead is 0.015 mg/l. The well of one participating household in Washington Township (Warren County) tested at a very slightly elevated 0.016mg/l. Iron was tested for in 37 wells; iron is not considered a health hazard but can cause staining in laundry and cause deposits in water heaters and water softeners. Only one well tested above the MCL of 0.3 mg/l; a Port Murray well had results of 1.23 mg/l.

Forty one participants had the pH level of their water tested. pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a liquid is. The normal range for drinking water is 6.5 - 8.5 pH units. Ten of the 41 samples tested below 6.5 units, that is, they were more acidic than normal. Water that is acidic can carry contaminants from the ground or plumbing fixtures to your tap. In fact, the water sample with the lowest pH (5.97) also had the highest iron content. Iron is more likely to be "etched" from the ground or plumbing fixtures by acidic water.