Bloomfield Hands Out Water Filters After Tests Show Elevated Lead

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield has joined its Essex County neighbor, Newark, and is handing out free water filters to residents after a recent test revealed “elevated levels of lead” at more than a dozen local homes.

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, Bloomfield officials announced that a recent test of 61 homes found 16 had elevated levels of lead and exceeded the “action level” of 15 parts per billion established by the U.S. EPA.

Most of the lead build-up was traced to the inside of homes, not the township’s water mains, Bloomfield officials said.

It’s a similar statement to the one Newark Mayor Ras Baraka made earlier this month when it was discovered that corrosion control is "no longer effective" in some parts of the city's water network.

Newark municipal workers and community groups went door-to-door and handed out free filters to residents of homes with lead service lines, the suspected source of the issue. There are at least 15,000 homes with lead services lines in Newark, the New Jersey Sierra Club estimated.

• See related article: Newark Mayor On Lead In Water Reports: 'We're Not Flint' (VIDEOS)

Bloomfield officials said Wednesday that they are working with the affected homeowners to remove the lead pipes.

According to a Bloomfield municipal release:

“The mayor and council are determined to assist Bloomfield residents to remove lead that might remain in their homes. Providing these PUR water filters is one more step to assist residents who may not yet be certain if lead exists in their homes.”

The filters have been ordered and will arrive “next week,” officials said. Residents can pick up filters free of charge from the Department of Health and Human Services, with home lead testing equipment.

Town officials stated:

“PUR activated carbon filters are considered industry standard, and found to remove 99.9% of lead found in water and reduce the level of Chlorine by-products. PUR filters can be picked up from the Health Department, located at 1 Municipal Plaza, Bloomfield, between the hours of 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday. Supplies are limited to Bloomfield residents with proof of residency such as a tax bill, utility bill, or driver’s license. Visit the Health Department in person, or call 973-680-4024 to get your free filter, and home lead testing kit.”

“These PUR filters are shipped very quickly, and more can be ordered as demand is demonstrated,” Township Administrator Matthew Watkins said. “If you’re asking for a filter, that means you are concerned about the lead buildup in older homes in our community. Everyone is concerned about these issues, and we have a program for testing lead levels but we have a shortage of volunteers willing to participate.”

• See related article: Bloomfield Has Spent $4M Fighting Water Contamination

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Photo: Bloomfield Township