Targeted Private Well Outreach Following a Change in Drinking Water Standard: Arsenic and the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act.

ABSTRACT:

Context

When the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) became effective in 2002, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic in the United States was 50 μg/L. In 2006, the federal and New Jersey MCLs were lowered to 10 μg/L and 5 μg/L, respectively.

Objective

To notify and provide free arsenic water testing for homeowners who had a PWTA arsenic result that passed for the MCL in 2006 or earlier but would exceed under the more health protective MCL enacted in 2006, which is still in effect as of this publication date.

Design

About 1200 homeowners with PWTA arsenic results between 5 μg/L and 50 μg/L were offered free arsenic water testing. More than 400 homeowners requested tests and 292 returned samples.

Setting

New Jersey, United States.

Participants

SUBMITTER: O'Neill HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9712494 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan-Feb 01

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature