For roughly 60,000 households in central New Jersey, a slice of a $4.9 million settlement from Middlesex Water Company and 3M, announced on October 3, 2025. It’s not a jackpot, but it’s cash back for the filters, the jugs, the doctor visits that started the day the utility admitted its water broke state rules.
This isn’t ancient history. It kicked off in October 2021 when Middlesex mailed letters saying their PFOA levels clocked 36.1 parts per trillion—more than double New Jersey’s brand-new 14 ppt limit. One fed-up customer sued, the case grew legs, and now checks are on the way. Let’s walk through what happened, who gets paid, and why this might get worse.
The Day the Letter Landed
The culprit? PFOA, a single flavor in the PFAS soup—those slick, stubborn chemicals baked into everything from frying pans to firefighting foam.
The utility spelled it out plain: Drink this long enough and you might see cholesterol creep, liver stress, immune dips, or fertility trouble in men. For pregnant women, infants, elderly folks, or anyone with a weak immune system—about 100 homes in the high-risk club—the advice was brutal: Bottled water only, talk to your doctor, send us the receipts.
Tests later showed over half a million Jerseyans in 34 systems sipping similar stuff, but Middlesex sat at the hot center.
The Money Breakdown
Fast-forward to now. The $4.9 million pot splits two ways:
- Base payout: $50 per household, no receipts needed.
- Big-ticket claims: Up to $2,500 if you kept receipts for filters, bottled water, or medical chats tied to the scare.
Middlesex foots most of the bill; 3M chips in from a separate groundwater case. Attorney Stephen DeNittis, who steered the ship, calls it the biggest PFAS consumer win in state history. Checks should mail out after a final court nod—watch your inbox for claim forms.
PFAS 101: Why These Chemicals Won’t Quit
PFAS stand for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—thousands of them, built to repel water, grease, and stains. You’ll find them in pizza boxes, rain jackets, even the band on your smartwatch. Problem is, they don’t break down. Ever. They slide from factory drains into rivers, soak into aquifers, and ride your faucet straight to the dinner table.
The World Health Organization’s cancer arm labels them Group 1 carcinogens. New Jersey set the nation’s toughest PFOA limit in 2020 because studies kept linking it to tumors, thyroid issues, and low birth weights. Middlesex spent $52 million on carbon filters by 2023 and now meets the mark, but the damage—and the distrust—lingers.
Washington’s U-Turn
Just when states like New Jersey tighten the screws, the EPA hits reverse. Spring 2024 brought national PFAS limits under Biden—six chemicals, hard caps, billions in cleanup cash. By May 2025, the new administration delayed compliance to 2031 and scrapped rules for four of the six. Environmental groups are already in court; utilities breathe easier; families brace for round two.
Your Next Move
If you’re in the Middlesex zone, dig out those receipts. Elsewhere? Grab a $30 test kit, run your tap, and compare to New Jersey’s 14 ppt benchmark. Certified pitchers or under-sink filters knock PFAS down 90 percent. Push your town council for annual reports—sunlight’s the best disinfectant.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.