Ridgewood Water Rewarded by NJDEP for PFAS Reduction Efforts

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Standing at the future site of their new perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water treatment plant, Ridgewood Water accepted an award from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recognizing their efforts to eliminate contaminants.

"We are so excited to be the first recipients of this award," said Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos. "Ridgewood Water has become a national leader in maintaining the highest level of safe drinking water, which is why we are spending $150 million to rid our water of PFAS chemicals, at a time when few other communities have begun to look at this critical water quality issue."

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Ridgewood has certainly put itself ahead of the curve — the EPA only recently decreed that public water suppliers in the United States have until 2029 to reduce contaminant levels to a maximum of 4 parts per trillion. For their part, Ridgewood Water, which also provides water to the Borough of Glen Rock, the Borough of Midland Park and the township of Wyckoff, is now on target to reach nondetectable levels of all regulated PFAS compounds by 2026.

In addition to building the new treatment facility under construction, the village has also begun construction on a new raw water main along Prospect Street, from Grove Street to Rock Road, which will create a new pathway to the new treatment facility once it is operational. Ridgewood Water has also endeavored to reduce lead in its pipes, now estimating that 80% of its service lines are lead-free, meeting its goal far ahead of the state deadline in 2031.

“Our PFAS Treatment Master Plan not only prepared us to be ready for the previous standards of 13 to 14 parts per trillion, established by the state of New Jersey but also has set us up to meet the new federal limits and beyond,” said Ridgewood Water Director of Operations Richard Calbi Jr. “These PFAS contaminants will be nondetectable at Ridgewood Water’s new treatment facilities, placing Ridgewood well ahead of most of the state and the nation.”

Read more Government news from around Ridgewood here:

• Ridgewood Village Council Recognized by AARP for Service to Seniors
• Village of Ridgewood Implores Residents to Stick to Watering Schedule in the Face of Heat Advisory
• Village of Ridgewood Continues to Bolster Its Pedestrian Safety Initiatives with Addition of Crosswalk Flashers

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