Bloomfield Has Spent $4M Fighting Water Contamination: Officials

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Over the past three years, Bloomfield has spent close to $4 million on water improvement projects in an effort to fix ongoing water contamination issues and improve the local infrastructure, town officials say.

Bloomfield has struggled with recurring water contamination over the past few years, including excesses of lead and haloacetic acids found in the municipal drinking supply. But officials say that the town has been embarking on a plan that will bring its water into full compliance with federal and state standards.

• See related article: Bloomfield Struggles With Water Contamination (What Comes Next?)

The town’s latest effort will kick off this spring, when workers will clean and line about three quarters of a mile of 12-inch diameter water main along Division Street, Woodland Road and Belleville Avenue. The cleaning and lining project will involve the removal of accumulated sediment and rust that has built up over decades within the water main, municipal officials stated.

A contract for the cleaning and lining project was awarded to Mainlining America for $1,028,445. Work is expected to begin on or around April 16, officials said.

“As is the case with most older townships, our underground infrastructure is in need of improvement, and often, replacements, for which our Engineering Department has consulted private vendors and experts,” Mayor Michael Venezia stated. “This project is just the newest phase of water improvement that my administration started three years ago.”

According to Bloomfield officials, future projects will also include “valve exercising and replacement to maintain the proper operation and functioning of the distribution system and construction of a new water supply pumping station to directly deliver, for the first time ever, water from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, which is a source of water independent from the water residents currently receive from the City of Newark.”

• See related article: Discolored Water In Bloomfield Is Due To Newark 'Cutting The Flow', Town Says

Bloomfield Director of Engineering Paul Lasek said that the improvements will – over time – “bring the town’s drinking water into full compliance with EPA and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection drinking water standards and eliminate the requirement to issue drinking water advisories on a quarterly basis.”

“While such notices continue to be issued, these projects, as well as continued dialogue with the City of Newark, will significantly contribute to our goal of eliminating these notices by the end of 2018,” Lasek said.

Residents with any questions about the township’s drinking water can call the Bloomfield Engineering Department at 973-680-4009.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Bloomfield Facebook page here.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Shutterstock