Development of a Long-Term Water Quality Sampling Program for the New Jersey Waters of the NY/NJ Harbor

G. M. DeGraeve (1) and Ashley Pengitore (2)

(1)Great Lakes Environmental Center, 739 Hastings Street, Traverse City, MI,  (231) 941-2230
(231) 941-2240, mick@glec-tc.com, www.glec.com

(2)Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, 600 Wilson Avenue, Newark, NJ,  (973) 817-5958
(973) 817-5709, apengitore@pvsc.com, www.pvsc.com

In 2004 the New Jersey Harbor Dischargers Group (NJHDG) initiated a water quality sampling program form the New Jersey portion of the New York/New Jersey Harbor.  The goal of the program is to provide a database of common water quality parameters/characteristics to assess the conditions in New Jersey waters, and to provide a database to serve as a basis of comparison with data collected in future years.  The program, which provides for sample collection and analysis throughout the year, is being coordinated by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, with sampling and analytical support from other members of the NJHDG.

This platform presentation will provide an overview of the details of the program and the results from the data collected during the first year of sampling.  The primary focus of the information presented will be the data collected in the Passaic River in 2004.  Comparisons will be made between the Passaic River data and data collected from other locations in the Harbor.  Where appropriate, water quality data will also be compared to applicable water quality standards.