This report is based upon tests conducted in the years 1996 through 1999 by NJUS.  Terms used in the Water Quality Table and in other parts of this report are defined here.
 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. 
 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. 
 

Action Level (AL):  The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
 

Treatment Technique (TT):  A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
 
 
 
 

NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units

ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)

ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
 

       Water is a universal solvent that naturally picks up material as it falls from the sky as rain or snow, and travels over or through the ground.  Some of this water ends up as drinking water. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
       Contaminants that may be present in source water include: 
(A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. 
(B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. 
(C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, storm water runoff, and residential uses. 
(D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems. 
(E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. 
       In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.