The New Jersey Residential Well-Testing Program--a case study: Randolph Township

Since 1993, several wells have been found to be contaminated in Randolph Township, New Jersey. As a result, the local health department believed there was a need to develop an ordinance that would protect the health of private well users. Samplings of 1,488 private and nonpublic wells in Randolph Township were used to provide the basis for the ordinance proposal. Questionnaires were mailed to homeowners, and samples were collected to be evaluated for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), coliform bacteria, and other inorganic water quality criteria. Several VOCs were shown to be present in the residential water supplies, with more than half of them being chlorinated hydrocarbons. These chlorinated hydrocarbons are generally utilized in industry, at service stations, and as cleaning agents for septic systems; they were detectable within one quarter of a mile from stationary sources or industrial areas. Similar trends were seen for coliform bacteria and other inorganic products. The health department advised residents at sample sites when contamination was found.