The New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute, established by the 1983 amendments to the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act (N.J.S.A. 58:12A1 et seq., P.L. 1983, c. 443), is responsible for developing maximum contaminant levels (MCL) or standards for hazardous contaminants in drinking water and recommending these standards to the Commissioner of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The standard setting process was established within the 1983 amendments to the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act. In 1987, the Institute recommended MCLs for 16 of the 22 hazardous contaminants listed in the 1983 amendments which were adopted by NJDEP in 1989. In 1994, the Institute recommended six additional contaminants for regulation in drinking water and MCLs for these contaminants based on their presence in New Jersey waters and the frequency of occurrence. These recommendations were adopted by NJDEP in 1996.

There are fifteen members of the Institute. Six members serve ex officio and 9 members are appointed three each by the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the Assembly. The appointed members are from the academic scientific community, the public or the regulated public water supply systems. The Governor designates the Chairman of the Institute. The first meeting of the Institute was held in March 1985.

In addition to recommending drinking standards to the Commissioner of NJDEP, the Institute is responsible for making recommendations for the implementation of the drinking water quality program. Three subcommittees were established to address the main areas of concern outlined in the legislation. The Health Effects Subcommittee (formerly Lists and Levels Subcommittee) is responsible for recommending health based levels for the contaminants listed in the legislation and for developing an additional list of drinking water contaminants based on occurrence in New Jersey drinking waters. For carcinogenic contaminants, the statutory goal is to establish a standard which would not, within the limits of medical, scientific and technological feasibility, permit cancer in more than one in one million persons ingesting the contaminant over a lifetime. For noncarcinogens, the statutory goal is to establish a standard, which would not result in any adverse physiological effects following ingestion within the limits of practicability and feasibility. The Testing Subcommittee is responsible for developing appropriate analytical methods to measure levels as close to the health based levels as possible and developing appropriate monitoring frequencies. The Treatment Subcommittee (formerly Program Subcommittee) is responsible for evaluating best available treatment technologies for removal of the hazardous contaminants from drinking water, as well as overall program review. More recently, a Radon Ad-Hoc Subcommittee was formed to evaluate the risks, costs, and benefits associated with regulating radon in drinking water based on occurrence data within the state.

Upcoming Meetings

Drinking Water Quality Institute on September 10, 2010 at 1:00 at the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ

• September 10, 2010 agenda (PDF)

Handouts and PowerPoint presentations at the May 7, 2010 meeting;

• Investigations Related to a 'Treatment-Based' Regulatory Approach
  to Address Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water (PDF)
• PWTA Regional Testing (powerpoint) by Dr. Judy Louis, NJDEP Office of Science
• USEPA Six-Year Review of Drinking Water Standards - Summary and Comparison with 2009 NJ DWQI Recommendations (ms word) by Dr. Gloria Post, NJDEP Office of Science
• Risk Assessment Basis for New and Updated New Jersey Drinking Water Health-Based Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations (powerpoint) by Drs. Gloria Post (NJDEP Office of Science) and Perry Cohn (NJDHSS Consumer and Environmental Health Service)
• The minutes will be posted once they are approved.

Meeting Minutes (All Minutes Below are PDF)

Drinking Water Quality Institute (full committee)
	February 1, 2010
	October 30, 2009
	March 4, 2009
	January 27, 2009
	October 21, 2008
	July 14, 2008
	September 14, 2007
	June 8, 2007
	March 2, 2007
	December 1, 2006
	March 31, 2006
	December 16, 2005
	July 29, 2005
	May 13, 2005
	March 11, 2005

Health Effects Subcommittee
	October 27, 2009
	March 30, 2009
	December 17, 2008
	September 29, 2008
	February 27, 2008
	November 13, 2007
	August 6, 2007
	September 12, 2006
	April 24, 2006
	February 1, 2006
	April 12, 2005

Testing Subcommittee
	February 24, 2010
	October 14, 2009
	January 14, 2009
	April 17, 2008
	June 21, 2007
	December 12, 2007
	February 15, 2007
	November 28, 2006
	September 13, 2006
	May 2, 2006
	January 24, 2006
	April 19, 2005

Treatment Subcommittee
	January 15, 2010
	January 5, 2009
	June 8, 2007
	January 9, 2007
	August 9, 2006
	March 29, 2006

Radon Ad-Hoc Subcommittee
	December 14, 2007
	September 7, 2007
	January 26, 2007
	November 13, 2006
	August 15, 2006

Directions

	DEP Main Building, 401 East State Street, Trenton
	New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (PDF)
	DHSS Laboratory (PDF)

Historical Documents

	New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations for Hazardous Contaminants in Drinking Water, March 2009
	New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendation for Radon-222, February 2009 (Pdf Format, 1.09MB)
	Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations for Arsenic in Drinking Water - March 10, 2003 (Pdf Format, 184KB)
	Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations for Hazardous Contaminants in Drinking Water Report & Appendix A, C, D & E - 1987 (Pdf Format, 2.78MB)
	Appendix B - Section A - Benzene (Pdf Format, 444KB)
	Appendix B - Section B - Carbon Tetrachloride (Pdf Format, 318KB)
	Appendix B - Section C - Chlordane (Pdf Format, 677KB)
	Appendix B - Section D - Chlorobenzene (Pdf Format, 615KB)
	Appendix B - Section E - Dichlorobenzenes (Pdf Format, 459KB)
	Appendix B - Section F - 1,2-Dichloroethane (Pdf Format, 459KB)
	Appendix B - Section G - Dichloroethylenes (1,1-Dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene) (Pdf Format, 471KB)
	Appendix B - Section H - Ethylene Glycol (Pdf Format, 288KB)
	Appendix B - Section I - Formaldehyde (Pdf Format, 4.15MB)
	Appendix B - Section J - n-Hexane (Pdf Format, 7.5MB)
	Appendix B - Section K - Kerosene (Pdf Format, 6.29MB)
	Appendix B - Section L - Methyl Ethyl Ketone (Pdf Format, 11.5MB)
	Appendix B - Section M - Methylene Chloride (Pdf Format, 4.9MB)
	Appendix B - Section N - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pdf Format, 14.9MB)
	Appendix B - Section O - Tetrachloroethylene (Pdf Format, 9.17MB)
	Appendix B - Section P - 1,2,4 -Trichlorobenzene (Pdf Format, 14.9MB)
	Appendix B - Section Q- 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane (Pdf Format, 8.77MB)
	Appendix B - Section R - Trichloroethylene (Pdf Format, 10.9MB)
	Appendix B - Section S - Vinyl Chloride (Pdf Format, 7.94MB)
	Appendix B - Section T - Xylene (Pdf Format, 15.9MB)
	Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations for Hazardous Contaminants in Drinking Water Report and Appendix B, C, D, E- 1994 (Pdf Format, 1.82MB)
	Appendix A (Pdf Format, 3.03MB)
	Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendations for Radium in Drinking Water, May 20, 2002 (Pdf Format, 2.42MB)
	New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute Maximum Contaminant Level Recommendation for Perchlorate, October 7, 2005 (Pdf Format, 458KB)

For further information regarding the Drinking Water Quality Institute, contact Branden Johnson at the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at (609) 292-5550 or by mail at 401 E. State Street, P.O. Box 426, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0426.