Elevated Contaminant Levels Found In Belleville’s Drinking Water

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Test results for Belleville’s drinking water dating up to the new year showed elevated levels of haloacetic acid compounds and volatile organic chemicals, town officials recently stated.

On Jan. 3, Belleville officials announced that the municipal water system recently violated drinking water standards for HAA5, five haloacetic acid compounds, and TTHM, four volatile organic chemicals, which form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter in the water.

People who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer, Belleville officials said.

Here’s what happened and what officials are doing to remedy the situation, officials wrote:

“We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results from October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for HAA5 and TTHM. The standard for HAA5 is 60 parts per billion, and the standard for TTHM is 80 parts per billion. It is determined by averaging all samples collected at each sampling location for the last 12 months. The levels of HAA5 averaged at four of our system’s four locations for October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 were 73, 69, 66, and 70 parts per billion respectively; and, the levels of TTHM averaged at two of our system’s four locations for October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 were 84 and 86 parts per billion respectively.”

“This is not an emergency,” Belleville officials emphasized in their announcement. “If it had been an emergency, you would have been notified within 24 hours.” (Read the full advisory here)

“There is nothing you need to do,” officials said. “You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions.”

However, residents with severely compromised immune systems, or those who have an infant, are pregnant or are elderly may be at increased risk and should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water, officials stated.

Belleville officials said:

• “The Belleville Water Department does not treat our drinking water, it purchases treated water from the City of Newark”
• “The City of Newark has developed a remedial treatment plan for the source water coming into Belleville to reduce DBP’s prior to entering our distribution system”
• “We are evaluating methods to reduce the levels of disinfection byproducts in our water distribution system”
• “The Belleville Water Department conducted hydrant flushing the water distribution system throughout 2018, and will continue in 2019”
• “The Belleville Water Department will be commencing a valve exercising program to make sure the valves are functioning properly or will be replaced”
• “The Belleville Water Department will take samples in February 2019. We anticipate the levels of DBP samples will be lower.”

For more information, contact the Belleville Water Department at 973-450-3412 or 152 Washington Avenue, Belleville, NJ 07109.

• See related article: Belleville's Water From Newark Has Elevated Acid Level, Report Says

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