Picatinny Arsenal

DRINKING WATER

The Army is committed to ensuring quality drinking water is provided to its Soldiers, family members, and civilians. Proactive sampling is performed by the Army on its drinking water systems and coordination with other purveyors of drinking water to installations occurs to ensure PFOS/PFOA remains below 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and PFOA (individually or combined). While not an enforceable regulatory standard, this represents a concentration in drinking water that is not expected to produce adverse health effects if the water is consumed over an entire lifetime.

Status: Finished drinking water, which is the treated water people drink at Picatinny Arsenal, is purchased by the Army. Water testing for PFOS/PFOA can be performed by either the drinking water provider or the Army.  There have been no reported exceedances of the EPA 2016 lifetime health advisory levels.. 

PFOA + PFOS Results:  below the laboratory's ability to detect

Test results date: October 2023

Testing Frequency:  semiannually

Future Testing Event: March 2024

History: As a proactive measure in 2018, drinking water supply wells were tested for PFAS and two wells' test results  (88.5 ppt and 100.3 ppt) exceeded the EPA lifetime health advisory. Alternate water was provided. A permanent water treatment system to remove PFOS and PFOA was installed and is operational.  Since the treatment system has been installed, PFOS and PFOA have not been detected in the finished drinking water.

Type of drinking water systems: Privatized

For questions contact:  Public Affairs

Office phone number:  (973) 724-6364

Office e-mail address: timothy.l.rider3.civ@army.mil

Water Quality Reports

CLEANUP ACTIONS

The Army follows the federal cleanup law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 (also known as “Superfund”), and long-standing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for all chemicals in its cleanup program, including PFAS.  In collaboration with federal and state regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders, the Army follows the CERCLA process to investigate a release resulting from Army activities and to assess the appropriate cleanup actions based on risk to human health and the environment.

When the Army identifies that it has impacted drinking water above the 70 parts per trillion for PFOS/PFOA (individually or combined) on or off an installation, it takes appropriate actions to provide alternate water and ensure drinking water levels are promptly reduced  (for example, by providing bottled water, shutting down wells, installing treatment systems or connecting to municipal water).

Final reports, points of contact, and/or site specific web links will be updated on this page as cleanup actions progress.

CERCLA is a complex, multi-phase process that provides a consistent, science-based approach across the nation for cleanup and may take years to complete. Read more about CERCLA and the phased approach here

CERCLA INFORMATION

Current CERCLA Phase:  Remedial Investigation underway

DOCUMENTS

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information, contact:  Public Affairs

Office phone number:  (973) 724-6364

Office e-mail address: timothy.l.rider3.civ@army.mil