Toxin leads Moorestown to shut two wells

A contaminant not currently regulated by drinking-water standards has been found in Moorestown's water supply, causing town officials to shut down two of its primary wells.

The chemical, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, is a man-made and persistent substance used for paint removal and other purposes. It has been classified a "likely" carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Moorestown Township Manager D. Scott Carew said Thursday that the decision to shut the wells was made Monday after advice from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said in an e-mail that the department did not require the action, but "we advised them that it would be prudent to shut the wells down if they could do so" without compromising the town's water supply.

Short-term exposure to 1,2,3-trichloropropane may cause eye and throat irritation, according to the EPA, and long-term exposure has caused liver and kidney damage in animal studies.

There are no federal drinking-water regulations for the chemical. Nor is there a state standard, despite recommendations for one several years ago.

Moorestown discovered the contaminant in late 2013 after it began testing for the substance as part of an EPA program monitoring unregulated contaminants. The township has not identified a source of the contamination.

Carew said the township, which also purchases water from New Jersey American Water, would be able to sustain itself in the "immediate future."

But if the wells aren't back online soon, he said, issues, including cost, could arise. And when residents begin using irrigation systems in the spring, "we could have a capacity issue."

A resident, who said his wife was battling cancer, expressed concern during a Township Council meeting last month about the results listed in a 2013 water-quality report for Moorestown.

Carew said township officials had been in contact with the state for months. The DEP's recommendation came late last week.

"We're working on it, and the water's safe," Mayor Chris Chiacchio said. "My family drinks the water."

Moorestown will apply for funding through the state's Spill Compensation Fund, which finances treatment and cleanup efforts.

The Drinking Water Quality Institute, an advisory panel to the state Department of Environmental Protection, recommended a maximum level for 1,2,3-trichloropropane contamination in water in 2009, but it was never adopted by the state. The board stopped meeting in 2010 - by some accounts, due to political interference - and did not reconvene until earlier this year.

Moorestown's wells would not have complied with the institute-proposed level of 0.03 parts per billion.

The annual water report listed 1,2,3-trichloropropane at 0.038 parts per billion. Higher levels also were found, according to a state database, including a report of the chemical at 0.09 parts per billion at a township treatment plant.

Hawaii, the only state to have a drinking-water standard for the chemical, bars the contaminant at 0.6 parts per billion. California is considering regulations.