New Jersey bill targets PFAS in drinking water

In New Jersey, families who drink from private wells could get a clearer answer about what is in their water. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Shirley K. Turner and Linda R. Greenstein, would require the Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, to set enforceable drinking-water standards for PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and to build a testing program for private wells.

That matters because the bill would turn a broad health concern into a rule with actual numbers attached. DEP would have to adopt the standards within 12 months after the act takes effect, and the state limits would have to line up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking-water regulations as they stood on Jan. 1, 2026.

The numbers behind the rule

PFAS limits are measured in parts per trillion, which is the scale where a tiny amount still matters. The bill sets maximum contaminant levels of 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOS, two of the most closely watched PFAS chemicals.

It also sets 10 parts per trillion for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA. For other regulated PFAS compounds covered by the federal drinking-water rules, DEP would have to write hazard-index requirements, so the agency would be setting enforceable thresholds instead of stopping at guidance.

The testing lane for well users

The private-well piece is the part most homeowners would feel first. DEP would have to identify households or other buildings with private wells that need PFAS testing, offer the testing, provide financial help for the tests and publish public information about the program. It would also have to maintain a database of private wells found to be contaminated.

If contamination is found and money is available, the bill would let the program pay for remediation help, including drinking-water filtration systems. It would also create a Private Well Testing Assistance Fund, which could be fed by settlements or judgments involving PFAS contamination and by annual state appropriations.