OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYDischarge to Ground Water Permits
What are NJPDES Discharge to Ground Water Permits?
NJPDES Discharge to Ground Water (DGW) Permits authorize facilities to discharge treated industrial or domestic wastewater to ground waters of the state as part of that facility’s wastewater operations.
Are there Ground Water Quality Standards for PFAS?
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Department) has officially adopted amendments to the Ground Water Quality Standards, N.J.A.C. 7:9C (GWQS) and the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Regulations, N.J.A.C. 7:14A (NJPDES) to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in discharges to ground water.
| New Jersey Administrative Code |
Parameter(s) | Date Adopted | Standard | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:9C |
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| 7:14A | PFNA,PFOA, PFOS | June 1, 2020 | Required to be monitored as part of the Pollutant Characterization in NJPDES DGW Permit Applications |
Specifically, on January 16, 2018, the GWQS were adopted with an amendment to include the specific ground water quality criterion of 13 parts per trillion for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). Subsequently on June 1, 2020, the GWQS were readopted with amendments for the inclusion of a specific ground water quality criterion of 14 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and a specific ground water quality criterion of 13 parts per trillion for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). In conjunction with the adoption of the amendments to the GWQS on June 1, 2020, the Department adopted an amendment to N.J.A.C. 7:14A-7.9 to require the analysis for PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS in the Characterization of the Quality of the Discharge Data required to be submitted in the application for a Discharge to Ground Water (DGW) permit.
How is the Division of Water Quality addressing PFAS in NJPDES Discharge to Ground Water permits?
In response to the adopted amendments, the Division of Water Quality began modifying NJPDES DGW permits to include monitoring for PFOA, PFNA and PFOS.
The Ground Water Application Checklist and the Technical Manual for NJPDES DGW Permits have been updated to specify the requirement for PFAS monitoring as part of the Pollutant Analysis Summary in DGW permit applications.
Monitoring results for the NJPDES DGW permitted facilities that have been modified to include a requirement to monitor for PFOA, PFNA and PFOS can be viewed utilizing DEP DataMiner. To obtain this data, Search by Category, NJPDES Permitting Program.
On January 17, 2023, the Commissioner signed Administrative Order 2023-01 to encourage the collection of data that will aid in efforts to identify, reduce and eliminate sources of PFAS in wastewater and its residuals.
Where can I find more information on submitting PFAS data?
The Division of Water Quality has developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to aid facilities with the proper submission of PFAS data in accordance with a NJPDES Discharge to Ground Water (DGW) permit.
Who can I contact if I have any questions regarding PFAS in Ground Water?
Questions regarding PFAS in ground water can be directed to dwq_groundwater@njdepwptest.net.