Township hears SMCMUA warn of $40 million PFAS treatment need and wide lead-service-line gap

Drew Saskowitz, executive director of the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, told the Morris Township Committee on Nov. 12 that the authority must invest heavily in water system upgrades — including treatment for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — and continued identification and replacement of customer-side lead and galvanized service lines. "We are estimating $40,000,000 in the next 6 years in treatment facilities" to meet new PFAS limits, Saskowitz said.

The presentation outlined the authority's service area and system: about 380 miles of water main, roughly 18,000 metered service connections across the system and 15 storage tanks. Saskowitz said the authority is complying with existing New Jersey DEP and federal rules but that the U.S. EPA's reduced maximum contaminant level for certain PFAS — "4 parts per trillion" — requires new treatment capacity. He described planned capital work: annual main replacements, tank rehabilitations, booster station upgrades, and combining treatment designs for the utility's largest wells.

Why it matters: the costs and the site of responsibility are consequential for residents. Saskowitz gave Morris Township-specific counts: 3,454 homes identified as not containing lead or galvanized service-line materials, 190 identified as containing galvanized materials and five identified as containing lead; 4,124 customer-side connections still need identification. He also said replacing a service line typically averages between $8,000 and $12,000, depending on length, and that customers can elect to use the authority's contractor with a pay-over-time option spread over four quarterly water bills.

Committee members pressed on affordability and equity. Committeeman Giorepi said, "I don't think it's fair that residents who might not have the means have to shell out 10 to $12,000 to replace these lines," and urged the authority and governing bodies to seek grants or bonding assistance. Committee members noted that some nearby towns on private systems may not face the same out-of-pocket exposures, and raised the possibility of rate increases or municipal bonding to spread costs.

Saskowitz said the authority has looked for grants but that many current funding programs prioritize economically burdened areas and that Morris Township does not qualify under the state's current map; he encouraged residents to use NSF 53-certified filters where needed and said the authority provides filters and sampling instructions to households identified with at-risk service lines. He also explained monitoring protocols for lead compliance and the authority's plans to expand in-house capabilities to perform curb-stop test pits and to accelerate identification and replacement work.

What’s next: Committee members and residents urged the SMCMUA board and neighboring municipalities to seek grant writers, reconsider rate policies, and evaluate bonding or other pooled financing. The committee did not take a formal municipal action during the presentation; follow-up was directed to the authority and to township staff for further discussion and possible grant- or finance-focused steps.

Speakers quoted or relied on in this article are those who spoke publicly at the meeting: Drew Saskowitz (executive director, Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority) and Committeeman Giorepi (Morris Township Committee).