Potable (Drinking) Water Program

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Residents using private wells for drinking or cooking should arrange for a comprehensive water test annually. Low cost testing for bacteria, nitrates, volatile organic chemicals, lead, mercury and other metals is available for Atlantic County residents by calling (609) 645-5971 ext. 4356. Representatives from the Division of Public Health will come to your home to collect the water samples. Upon notification of test results that fail to meet drinking water standards, you will receive immediate notification by telephone. Written results will be sent to you in the mail. For more information see links below.

The Potable Water Program is also responsible for the following activities:

Surveying neighborhoods for new Areas Of Concern for groundwater contamination and distributing flyers within the new areas advising residents to test their wells
The enactment of the Private Well Testing Act (see following link) has greatly increased the number of private wells found to be contaminated
Review of water tests for Certificates of Occupancy for newly constructed homes
Inspection of Public Non-Community Water Supplies and assessing penalties for failure to test for required parameters or failure to correct violations of Maximum Contaminant Levels

Under interagency agreement with USEPA, NJDEP and Federal and State Departments of Labor, sampling of all wells servicing migrant labor camps for bacteria and nitrates. Results are reported to farm owners and above agencies for enforcement of labor standards.