Completion of Water Line Extension Provides Safe Drinking Water to 73 Homes and Businesses in New Jersey

Strategic Insights -

The completion of a water line extension marks a significant milestone in providing a safe source of drinking water to 73 homes and businesses threatened by contaminated groundwater from the Combe Fill South Landfill Superfund site in Chester and Washington Townships in New Jersey. The water line, constructed at a cost of $9 million, will permanently supply clean drinking water to homes and businesses that had previously relied on groundwater threatened by the landfill contamination. This achievement is a result of a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Chester and Washington Townships, and the Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority.

Key Takeaways:

  • The water line extension will provide safe drinking water to 73 homes and businesses previously threatened by contaminated groundwater from the Combe Fill South Landfill Superfund site.
  • The project was completed at a cost of $9 million, funded by the recovery of more than $50 million in past costs from responsible parties.
  • The new water line extension connects homes and businesses along Parker Road, School House Lane, and a small portion of Route 24.
  • The 65-acre Combe Fill South Landfill site was added to the Superfund list in 1983 for contamination with volatile organic compounds.
  • The EPA has recovered more than $50 million in past costs from responsible parties to fund ongoing work at the site, including construction of the water line extension.
  • The completion of the water line extension is a result of a partnership between the EPA, Chester and Washington Townships, and the Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority.
  • The water line extension will be operated and maintained by the Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority.
  • The site's original cleanup plan included capping the landfill, installing a landfill gas collection system, pumping and treating shallow groundwater, and installing stormwater runoff controls.
  • A study of the landfill's impact on deeper-layer groundwater is ongoing.

Statistics:

  • The water line extension covers a distance of approximately 2 miles.
  • The site's contamination with volatile organic compounds affects approximately 170 people living within half a mile of the landfill.
  • The EPA recovered more than $50 million in past costs from responsible parties to fund ongoing work at the site.
  • The water line extension was constructed at a cost of $9 million.
  • The site's original cleanup plan included capping the landfill, which was completed in 1986 (source: EPA).

Sources:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Combe Fill South Landfill Superfund Site Fact Sheet.
  • Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority.