Need: New Jersey faces significant challenges with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often called “forever chemicals,” contamination in water, wastewater, soil, and the environment, posing serious health risks including increased cholesterol, liver damage, thyroid disease, changes in the immune system, and certain cancers. The state's densely populated regions and industrial history contribute to high PFAS levels. While New Jersey has regulations and is working to address the issue, the costs of monitoring, cleanup, and potential higher water rates for consumers are a concern for utilities and residents. Utilities face the burden of monitoring, reporting, and potentially cleaning up PFAS contamination, while also navigating the costs associated with these efforts. While New Jersey has regulations and is working to address the issue, the costs of monitoring, cleanup, and potential higher water rates for consumers are a concern for utilities and residents.
Strategy: The proposed New Jersey PFAS Partnership Innovation Consortium (NJ PFAS-PIC) will establish a collaborative strategic stakeholders partnerships based ecosystem to develop innovative technology solutions with advance translation, scaling and community validation to address critical needs in PFAS contamination detection, remediation, decontamination and management, and develop novel alternative materials to be used in consumable products for reducing and managing PFAS contaminations for societal benefits and economic impact. The collaborative partners with the consortium will include academic researchers and innovators from NJIT, Princeton, Rutgers, Stevens and Rowan; industry leaders with potential participation from investor owned utilities and engineering firms Veolia, Middlesex Water Company, AECOM, Revive, Allonia, American Water, Arcadis,Carollo, Resin Tech, Mott McDonald, T&M, Colliers, and others; state government and regulatory agencies including NJDEP, NJEDA and NJCSIT, and public government run utilities companies and commissions including Passaic Valley Water Commission, , Atlantic County Utilities Authority, Brick Utilities, City of Newark, City of Boonton, Ridgewood Waterand others.
Resources and Assets: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is actively monitoring and testing water systems, wastewater, soil and environment for PFAS contamination. Academic researchers from 5 leading universities in NJ have innovated several advanced technologies for PFAS rapid detection, monitoring, decontamination and management but lack translational field validation and feasibility studies for meaningful deployment in communities with regulatory compliance and guidance from NJDEP, NJEDA, NJCSIT and EPA. In addition, there are technological and commercial assets available with global and regional industry having strong interest in collaborating with NJ universities, regulatory agencies and utility companies to test innovative technology solutions for scaling, compliance, and commercialization feasibility for effective deployment toward community benefits and economic gains.
The expected operational costs and budget for the proposed NJ PFAS-PIC is estimated at $10 million over 5 years that will be raised through participating research institutions, industry, federal and state grants, and community/utility partners. The return of investment (ROI) is expected to be $25-30 million with future grants, contracts, and public and private investments with advanced translational validation, technology transfer, licensing and commercialization. This would potentially create economic impact, additional new jobs, utility efficiency and better public health in NJ.