New Jersey Discharger - Vol. 7 No. 1 F

	Vol. 7 No. 1 Summer 1999
A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs

Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing Notice

WET testing measures the effects of pollutants on the growth, reproduction, and survival of aquatic organisms. It is an invaluable tool for assessing toxicity problems in wastewater prior to discharge into waterbodies. The NJPDES regulations adopted on May 5, 1997 require every applicant for a new or renewal individual NJPDES discharge to surface water permit, except renewal permits that already include WET testing requirements, to submit WET tests as specified at N.J.A.C. 7:14A-4.4(b)3ii(1). Accordingly, the results from one acute and one chronic test must be submitted with permit applications.

To satisfy this application requirement, laboratories conducting WET tests should use Ceriodaphnia dubia (water flea) for discharges to freshwater receiving waters and Mysidopsis bahia (Mysid shrimp) for discharges to saline receiving waters. Furthermore, laboratories do not have to submit a Methodology Questionnaire for tests conducted to satisfy this requirement.

Permittees who already have WET testing requirements in their permit shall comply with those requirements. If you have any questions or would like to verify the need to conduct WET tests for your permit, you may contact the Bureau of Point Source Permitting Region 1 or Region 2 at (609) 633-3869 or (609) 292-4860, respectively.

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Last revision Tuesday, June 22, 1999