Our Environment

Next Hazardous Waste Day Set

The next Household Hazardous Waste Day will be held on March 6, 2021, from 9:00am -1:00pm at the County Complex on Rt. 12 in Flemington. Service is on a first-come basis. No computers, monitors, or propane tanks will be accepted—a special collection day for electronics is expected to be scheduled next spring.

Examples Of Items Accepted:

• Aerosol cans,
• Asbestos Pipe Wrap (dampen and double wrap in plastic),
• Battery acid,
• Drain cleaner,
• CFLs/Fluorescent bulbs (wrapped in newspaper, or in original packages),
• Fuel oil/Sludge,
• Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel, Gas/Oil mix,
• Herbicides, Insecticides, Pesticides,
• Latex paint (condensed into full cans),
• Mercury (thermostat switches),
• Oil paint (condensed into full cans),
• Paint thinner,
• Pool chemicals, Photographic Chemicals,
• Varnish/Stains,

New Guidelines Due To Covid-19

• Please limit one person per household entering the HHW program location.
• Face Coverings are required for the driver.
• Please place items in the rear of the vehicle.
• There will be no pour offs of containers. The way the waste is packaged is the way the waste will be unloaded. This limits the amount of time an unloader can be exposed to the driver. If gas cans are brought in, the can will not be given back empty to the driver.
Containers larger than twenty (20) gallons are not accepted. People are limited to 10 gallons or 80 pounds total, except Motor oil, Anti-freeze, Automotive Batteries, and Fire Extinguishers. For more information, visit the Hunterdon County Division of Solid Waste and Recycling website, or phone 908-788-1351.

RHA Studies Awareness and Action

It’s a dilemma in many rural areas in New Jersey and beyond: How can people be sure that the well water they and their families drink is free from contaminants?

According to Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA), a non-profit working to protect clean water, the simple solution is for all homeowners with wells to test their water for an array of potential pollutants. But it’s easier said than done.

The majority of well owners – including those in the upper Raritan River watershed in Hunterdon, Somerset and Morris counties - don’t test their water. This can have health consequences if groundwater turns out to be contaminated with common pollutants like coliform bacteria, arsenic, nitrate, radon and uranium.

In an effort to get more well owners to test their water, Raritan Headwaters has been studying ways to raise awareness, including directly contacting homeowners in neighborhoods where well contamination has been discovered.

And RHA is now sharing its insights about the benefits of “hyperlocal messaging” with the world.

In an article in the Journal of Water and Health, an international scientific publication, RHA staff members Dr. Kristi MacDonald and Mara Tippett share information about their ongoing campaign to increase the number of private well owners who test. Raritan Headwaters has been providing local well testing since 1974.

“We found that providing residents with information about contaminants in wells near their home resulted in significantly higher testing,” said MacDonald, RHA’s science director. “That means more private well owners took action to protect the health of their families, which is the goal.”

“It’s all about motivating people and making the testing process simple and affordable,” added Tippett, a water scientist and head of RHA’s well testing program. “Having your water tested by a reliable laboratory is the only way to know for sure that it is safe to drink. Letting people know that there are resources available to make this an easy process empowers them to do so.”

Most wells not monitored

The article notes that about 13 percent of New Jersey residents - some 1.15 million people - get their drinking water from private wells. Of the roughly 300,000 private wells in the state, only 20–25 percent have been tested at least once. And many of those tests occurred because New Jersey’s 2002 Private Well Testing Act mandates testing when homes with wells are sold.

“This potentially leaves as many as 80 percent of the remaining wells in the state unmonitored for water quality. Thus, there is a critical need to better inform private well owners of the risks of contaminants exceeding drinking water standards in their well water in ways that will result in health actions including testing and treatment,” wrote MacDonald and Tippett.

In the Upper Raritan watershed of Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties, the region served by RHA, four out of five households rely on private wells for drinking water.

According to the study, there are many reasons why well owners don’t test. Some are unaware of health risks, assuming that the H2O coming from their tap is safe because it looks clear and has no foul taste or odor.

“Often, an assumption is made that the water is safe and testing is unnecessary,” wrote MacDonald and Tippett, citing earlier studies. “People also tend to be optimistically biased, believing their risk to be lower than others.”

Some may choose to not test because they habitually drink bottled water. Cost and convenience can also be obstacles to regular well testing.

The study tested the theory that providing residents with specific messaging about wells in their neighborhood failing to meet safe drinking water standards would increase the perception of personal health risk, thus leading to higher rates of testing and subsequent treatment.

Outreach in two Hunterdon County towns

RHA’s study focused on Bethlehem and Raritan townships, both located in Hunterdon County, and made use of more than 45 years’ worth of well testing data. Two types of communications were sent out:

• Residents within 1,000 feet of a well with a history of contamination received notification that a nearby well had specific contaminants exceeding drinking water safety levels.

• A random sample of residents received a general letter providing information on regional rates for common contaminants.

Both groups were encouraged to test their well water through RHA’s discounted, confidential well testing program.

The study found that residents who received specific letters about contamination in a neighbor’s well were more likely to test their own well than were individuals who received a general letter about common contaminants in the region.

In a follow-up survey, most respondents indicated that testing increased their confidence in their well water - even in cases where they learned their water was exceeding the drinking water standard for a contaminant. In addition, nearly all respondents said they planned to test their well again in the future.

The study was funded by a grant from the New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute at Rutgers University. Raritan Headwaters, with partners from Rutgers, has since received a second grant from NJWRRI to study arsenic in groundwater. Learn more about Raritan Headwaters’ well testing program and how to get your well tested online, or contact Tippett directly. The website also includes information about common well contaminants and their health risks. You can read the study online or access the peer-reviewed article .

Why Test Your Well?

“The only way to know if your water is safe to drink is by testing it,” said Mara Tippett, well testing manager for RHA. “You can’t control everything in your life, but you can manage testing your well water to protect your family’s health.”

Four out of five residents in the upper Raritan River watershed region – or about 200,000 people - get their drinking water from private wells.

Wells can become contaminated with a variety of pollutants, ranging from coliform bacteria from faulty septic systems, to nitrates from lawn and farm fertilizers, to naturally-occurring arsenic in the ground. In addition, lead from plumbing can contaminate water as it runs through pipes in the house.

While annual testing of public water systems is mandated, no such requirement exists for water from private wells. Testing of private wells is not required unless a property is being sold.

The most common well tests offered by Raritan Headwaters are for coliform bacteria and nitrates, but residents may also test for lead, arsenic, pesticides, radon, gross alpha (naturally-occurring radiation) and chromium. Testing is done by a certified laboratory that works with RHA, and results are available by email in about two weeks.

If contamination is found, RHA staff members can provide information on water treatment options, such as filter systems for the home.

Tippett noted that “free” water test kits found at big box stores are generally a sales tactic to sell expensive, often unnecessary, water softeners. The results obtained from that type of testing often do not provide homeowners with the information needed to determine the safety of their drinking water.

Help Stop Lanternfly Spread

This summer and fall, you may have noticed a pretty, dusky-colored spotted insect whose wings open to reveal brilliant scarlet underwings. You may have thought it was a type of moth.

Don’t be fooled … this beauty is actually a beast! It’s a spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that threatens our forests, orchards and vineyards.

The help of local residents is desperately needed this fall and winter to bring what has become an infestation in our area under control! Spotted lanternflies aren’t flies at all, but a planthopper that feeds off the sap of trees and vines. Native to Asia, they were accidentally introduced in Pennsylvania in 2014 and have been rapidly spreading ever since. They’re now found in eight western New Jersey counties, including much of the upper Raritan River watershed.

With few natural predators, spotted lanternflies reproduce quickly and prolifically. Their favorite food is the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), also native to Asia and considered a local invasive. But in the absence of Ailanthus, lanternflies will suck the sap of fruit trees, grapevines and native trees in New Jersey’s forests, weakening and potentially killing them. Many local infestations were discovered this past summer.

Here’s what you can do to help:

• Learn to identify spotted lanternflies in their various life stages, and kill them when you find them. It’s easy if there are just a few individuals, but if there’s an infestation it will be necessary to trap and treat them. None of us enjoy killing things, but this pest can damage native trees if left unchecked.

• Learn to identify lanternfly egg cases and destroy them. Egg cases are grayish-brown and can resemble splotches of mud. They may be found in a variety of locations, including tree trunks, cement, wood, and metal surfaces. Adult lanternflies don’t survive the winter, so finding and destroying their egg cases is key to preventing a hatch next spring.

• If you see spotted lanternflies in Morris County, please e-mail a report your sightings to the NJ Department of Agriculture or phone them, at 609-406-6943. Lanternflies are more pervasive in Hunterdon and Somerset counties, and reporting is not necessary.

• Learn how to distinguish lanternflies’ preferred host, tree-of-heaven, from similar looking native trees like sumac and black walnut. But simply cutting Ailanthus trees down won’t help control lanternflies, because many more individual trees will sprout from their roots. Learn the correct techniques for eradicating tree-of-heaven, but also be aware that if you have a large lanternfly infestation you should consider leaving a couple of “trap trees” on your property to attract the majority of spotted lanternflies so they can be treated.

To learn more about spotted lanternflies and how you can help stop their spread, please visit the Raritan Headwaters Association website. There, you’ll find photos of lanternflies in their various life stages and many helpful links.

Thank you! By becoming aware of this threat and taking action, all of us in the upper Raritan River watershed can help the trees that, in turn, are critical to protecting our local water quality.

Dr. Kristi MacDonald
Science Director, Raritan Headwaters Association

Cyanobacteria outbreaks return this summer

They’re baaaack!

The cyanobacteria outbreaks that shut down many New Jersey lakes and reservoirs last summer have returned, threatening recreation areas and swimming holes that have grown in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic reduced the public’s other entertainment options.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has posted advisories for parts of Spruce Run Reservoir in Clinton - a popular recreation area and part of Central Jersey’s water supply – along with Greenwood Lake in Passaic County and other lakes throughout the state. As the summer continues to heat up, more could follow.

Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, can cause skin rashes if touched, and flu-like symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and headaches if swallowed. Fish caught in these waters should not be eaten, and boats and equipment used on these lakes should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water. Dogs shouldn’t be allowed to swim in affected waters, as they can get sick or die from swallowing toxic water.

This summer’s return of harmful algal blooms, or HABs for short, is not really a surprise, as the conditions leading to their spread haven’t changed much since last year.

HABs need three ingredients: the presence of cyanobacteria, warm water, and food. Bacteria have always been present in lakes and reservoirs, so there’s no getting around that. Lakes (especially shallow ones) are getting warmer all year round due to climate change. And, unfortunately, we continue to feed the HABs with pollution washed into the waters by rainstorms.

Raritan Headwaters Association, the region’s watershed watchdog, strongly urges local officials to address the most controllable aspect of the HABs problem: stormwater runoff, which washes chemical fertilizers, animal waste, coliform bacteria from faulty septic systems and other pollutants into rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs.

Communities should consider establishing stormwater utilities, as allowed by a state law passed in 2019. Although the law was criticized by opponents as a “rain tax,” the fact is that creating stormwater utilities is the most obvious way to help prevent harmful algal blooms.
Here’s how stormwater utilities would work: If commercial and residential developments that contribute to excessive stormwater runoff are forced to pay, it would be an incentive to incorporate more “green infrastructure” into their design. The more particular sites contribute to stormwater runoff, like big-box stores with huge parking lots, the more they would pay in utility fees. And the fees collected by stormwater utilities could pay for local projects like rain gardens, bioswales and permeable pavements that can help filter pollution from stormwater runoff.

The state took a step in the right direction last year by awarding $13 million in grants to pay for local pilot projects aimed at reducing HABs. Green infrastructure projects like building a rain garden at a school or library are going to improve the health of a community’s water resources, and hopefully the success of these projects can be replicated elsewhere.

In the meantime, local residents can do their part by saying “no” to chemical lawn and garden fertilizers, making sure their septic systems are working properly and picking up pet waste.

Harmful algae blooms are a man-made problem, and it’s up to us to take action to help solve it!

Please stay safe this summer and be aware of cyanobacteria outbreaks. The DEP has created a color-coded warning system to let residents know which lakes are safe for swimming, fishing, letting your dog take a dip, or paddling a kayak or canoe.

Go to www.nj.gov/dep/hab/ and click on the “Interactive Mapping and Reporting System.” And if you spot what looks like a HAB, you can also use the site to report it so the state can come to inspect and test.
Bill Kibler
Director of Policy
Raritan Headwaters Association
Bedminster, NJ

Clean Water Protection Boosted

in Raritan River Watershed

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recently published a rule that applies one of its strongest clean water protections to 600 miles of rivers and streams throughout the state. The new “Category One” designations are the first made in over a decade. They set strict limits on pollution and development for over 200 miles of the North and South Branches of the Raritan River, the Neshanic, and the Lamington River. These are sections of the Raritan Headwaters not previously protected as Category One waters.

Raritan Headwaters has been anxiously awaiting these updates to the Surface Water Quality Standards. These upgrades, based on exceptional ecological significance and exceptional fisheries resources, are most welcome. We appreciate the incredible effort the DEP staff put into this rulemaking.

Abundant clean water is one of the most critical resources New Jersey has. Protecting this vital resource is an essential investment in our future. This update is a valuable step toward ensuring that future generations inherit waterways with clean water and healthy habitats.

As NJDEP said when announcing the new protections, “This rulemaking allows appropriate economic growth to occur while ensuring that the equally important natural resources of the State are preserved. The State’s natural resources, including water resources, are held in public trust, and their protection is in the best interest of all New Jersey residents, particularly given the cost of restoration, loss of revenue among industries dependent on high water quality, and the widespread costs of flooding resulting from unwise development in flood-prone riparian areas.”

Second only to the protections for streams in state and national parks, Category One provides the strongest legal means to safeguard waters from pollutants, sewage, and harmful bacteria. In addition to pollution controls that allow for more fishing and recreation, a Category One waterway enjoys 300 feet of protected landscape and wildlife habitat along both of its banks.

The upgrades were overwhelmingly popular when NJDEP proposed the new rule at public hearings last year. The department received almost 400 official comments in response, over 80% of which were supportive.

The additions to the C1 listing are good policy based on good science and they are years overdue. They will require those who discharge pollutants into our streams to be more mindful of their operations, and they will force local decision makers to be more cognizant of the impacts of their development decisions on their downstream neighbors. That will be very good news for the families who live in our watershed and 1.5 million New Jersey residents who rely on our watershed for clean drinking water.

Bill Kibler
Policy Director, Raritan Headwaters Association

Pump out Your Septic Tank

Did you know that Tewksbury homeowners are responsible for maintaining your septic system? Maintaining your septic protects your investment in your home. You should periodically inspect your system and pump out your septic tank. If properly designed, constructed and maintained, your septic system can provide long-term effective treatment of your household wastewater. If your septic system isn’t properly maintained, you might need to replace it, costing you thousands of dollars. A malfunctioning system can contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water in the township. It also is important to keep your system properly maintained because it must be in good working order if you are planning to sell your home.

Your Septic System Is Your Responsibility

Top Four Things You Can Do To Protect Your Septic System:
1. Inspect and pump your system every three years.
2. Use water efficiently.
3. Don’t dispose of non-biodegradable items or household hazardous wastes in sinks or toilets
4. care for your drainfield
Source: www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/pdf/septicmn.pdf

Tewksbury Environmental Commission

Gardener's Helpline

Hunterdon County Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline provides a service every home gardener can take advantage of throughout the growing season. Garden questions are as inevitable as weeds, and the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Hunterdon are trained by Rutgers University staff, as well as local horticulturalists, to answer questions and assist county residents in a variety of ways.

Helpline volunteers cover a myriad of home gardening issues, including providing the materials and information needed to obtain a proper soil sample for analysis by Rutgers’ labs, soil pH testing, lawn care, and plant-, tree-, and shrub identification with advice about the right plant for the right place, recommendations on deer-resistant plants, and disease diagnosis and recommendations for treatment. They can also identify pests, and give recommendations for Integrated Pest Management techniques.

You can phone the Hotline, at 908-788-1339, or e-mail questions. You can also take samples and questions to Building #2, at 6 Gauntt Place, Flemington, from 9:00am-12:00pm, Monday-Friday, and 12:30-3:30pm, Wednesdays.

Flood Control Solutions for Property Owners

Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) is on a mission to protect clean water in the north and south branch region of the Raritan River. For more than 55 years, our goal has been to protect the water you and your family rely on every day. One of the greatest threats to our water is contamination from stormwater runoff and flooding. Individual property owners can help alleviate these problems.

Even owners of small pieces of property can help prevent flooding through the use of a rain garden. What is a rain garden? It is a low-lying vegetated depression (typically 3 to 6 inches deep) with absorbent soils that temporarily collect stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces and allow the runoff to slowly percolate into the soil.
Large or small, rain gardens should be planted with native plants. As a general rule, any plant described as Japanese, Oriental, English, etc. is obviously not native to North America and should be avoided. In our area, native plant material range from the black gum tree (Nyssa sylvatica) to arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentate) and garden perennials such as bee balm (Mondarda didyma), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia).

photo of a rain garden

Property owners can also help decrease flooding and pollution through the size and care of their lawns. Rather than striving for a large carpet of green through the use of pesticides and herbicides, consider reducing the size of your lawn by 10% or more and allow your landscape to include more natives. You can take a few simple steps to make your lawn healthier and better able to absorb rainwater when it falls.
• Use an organic, phosphorous-free fertilizer early each spring
• Set your mower to cut no lower than 3 inches
• Water infrequently but deeply
• Use hand tools to remove individual weeds

The best flood protection for a stream, however, is to be surrounded with a good buffer area of woods, shrubs, wetlands, and grasses to intercept contaminated runoff before it reaches the water. The less “groomed” this buffer area is, the more it can perform its normal functions. If you are fortunate enough to have a stream or pond on your property, don’t mow within three feet of the edge and allow the vegetation to grow to a height of about three feet. Vegetation allowed to grow along the banks of streams and ponds prevents erosion and the related silting in and flooding during heavy rain events. Steep-banked streams require the hearty protection of shrubs and trees that provide shade, erosion control, temperature regulation, and food sources for aquatic wildlife.

If you are interested in beginning a flood control project like those described here, our website has a wealth of information about each of these options as well as native plant lists, tips for growing organic lawns, and more water protection ideas. Visit www.raritanheadwaters.org, and like us on facebook for more conservation ideas. Join us!

Cindy Ehrenclou,
Raritan Headwaters Association Executive Director

Tewksbury's Woodlands

A number of resources are available for people interested in managing and preserving our woodlands, in Tewksbury. Stop by the Municipal Offices to request these items (or see the Web links, if available):

• The Community Forestry Management Plan, which applies to the Township's public lands,Tewksbury's Master Plan, Scenic Roads Ordinance (#19-96) and Tree Clearing Ordinance (#07-2002)

• Building Greener Communities: Planning for Woodland Conservation, a manual available from the North Jersey Resource and Development Council Web site (click on "Woodland Conservation Manual")

• Maps of trails and woodland features of the Township's Pascale Farm, or Whittemore Wildlife Sanctuary.

Other information on the Web, includes:

The NJDEP Landscape Project.
GIS-based maps showing natural resources in our area.
Information about the new "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" is available on the NJDEP Web site.