To meet new federal standards, an arsenic removal system to monitor and clean the well water at Woodfern Elementary School will be installed.
By: Donna Lukiw
After the federal government changed its maximum contaminant level for arsenic in drinking water, the Hillsborough School District has to install an arsenic removal system to monitor and clean the well water at Woodfern Elementary School.
Business Administrator Tom Venanzi said the federal government had changed the maximum contaminant level for arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion. Previously, up to 50 parts per billion were allowed.
Because of the new standard imposed by the federal government, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also changed the state’s standard from 50 parts per billion to five parts per billion.
"We are not required to test for this standard until 2007 and we would use the average of four quarterly tests to determine our levels," Mr. Venanzi said.
He said the school district began testing last year and the results indicated that the district is border-line with the new standard of five parts per billion.
"We are being proactive and addressing this by installing two fully automated arsenic removal systems," Mr. Venanzi said. "Both systems will include water meters to monitor and contain filters to remove particulates."
According to the NJDEP, arsenic in well water is colorless, odorless and tasteless and the only way to identify its presence in water is to have the water specifically tested for arsenic.
It’s a toxic element known to increase the risk of adverse health effects in people who drink water containing it. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen, causing cancer of the skin, bladder, lung, kidney and liver and it also causes increased risk of cardio-vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, skin hyperpigmentation and keratoses and diabetes.
Mr. Venanzi estimates it will cost about $60,000 to install the filter system but the district is still seeking bids.
Since Woodfern Elementary School is the only school using well water, no other schools in the district are affected.
"We did look at the possibility of connecting to a water line but it was too expensive to go with this option," Mr. Venanzi said. "Our well water is routinely tested by certified labs and has always been determined to be safe for drinking purposes."
According to the NJDEP, in February 2002, the federal government adopted a 10 parts per-billion arsenic drinking water standard, effective Jan. 23, 2006. No state other than New Jersey has adopted an arsenic standard as protective as five parts per billion.
New Jersey requires monitoring for arsenic at more than 600 public community water systems and 900 nontransient, noncommunity systems. Based on past data, the NJDEP predicts approximately 34 community and 101 noncommunity systems will have arsenic levels exceeding the new five parts per-billion standard.
The new state arsenic standard will also apply to private well owners regulated under New Jersey’s Private Well Testing Act, requiring notification of consumers about arsenic concentrations during a real estate transaction and when renting property.

