Environmentalists push bill to expand well monitoring

Well is a important source for water, as the ground water is getting polluted, it is neccesary to enforce the standard..

Environmentalists push bill to expand well monitoring
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
By TERRENCE DOPP
The Express-Times

TRENTON -- Lawmakers are examining a plan to mandate all homeowners relying on private wells to have them tested for contamination every five years.

The bill would expand the scope of New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act -- a 2002 law that mandates all wells be tested during real estate sales. Since that law took effect, 8 percent of wells tested statewide have been found to be contaminated, according to state officials.

The state Department of Environmental Protection estimates the law would affect an estimated 250,000 wells, as well as approximately 7,600 new ones installed annually.

"The success of the private well testing has shown that it should be expanded. This is a natural next step," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Contaminated drinking water is not a new concern in the Garden State, where there are roughly 11,000 contaminated sites and 118 Superfund sites. Geology, industry and increasing population have contributed to the problem, according to officials. Read More..

Environmentalists push bill to expand well monitoring