Bloomfield Water Update: Town Offers Free Ways To Test For Lead

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield officials are expanding the town’s free lead testing services as the municipality continues to address its ongoing drinking water issues.

On Tuesday, the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services announced it will be offering residents complimentary lead testing of common household items and soil every Tuesday during the month of July.

Bloomfield residents can bring in any children’s toys or household items for testing on Tuesdays through the end of July from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bloomfield Health Department, 1 Municipal Plaza, Room 111. The July dates are July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.

Bloomfield officials stated in a news release:

“During these lead testing days, residents are invited to bring toys, ceramics, metals, plastics, painted products, liquids, makeup, spices, wood, soil and more items for inspection, but the department staff requests they bring no more than three items at a time. Residents are invited to contact Gina Marie Behre at 973-680-4024 or Gbehre@bloomfieldtwpnj.com for more information or if they need to schedule a different day to come in.”

“The mayor, township administrator, township engineer and our department have all been very proactive in informing residents of our initiatives to help them reduce the buildup of lead in older homes, which may feature outdated plumbing,” Director of Health and Welfare Karen Lore said.

“But it is also important to make sure toys, utensils, and other household items – especially those handled by children – are lead-free,” Lore added. “We are available to test products on different days if we have advance notice.”

LEAD IN BLOOMFIELD’S WATER

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.

In November 2018, Bloomfield officials announced that tests revealed 16 out of 61 homes showed elevated levels of lead and exceeded the "action level" of 15 parts per billion established by the U.S. EPA.

Most of the lead buildup was traced to the inside of homes, not the township's water mains, Bloomfield officials said. It was a similar statement to the one Newark Mayor Ras Baraka made when it was discovered that corroded lead service lines were contributing to elevated levels of lead in thousands of homes in the city.

Bloomfield purchases all its water from Newark, town officials have said.

• See related article: Bloomfield Hands Out Water Filters After Tests Show Elevated Lead
• See related article: Newark's New Way Of Fighting Lead Will Benefit Nearby Towns

Like Newark, Bloomfield has been offering residents free lead testing kits and PUR water filters on request.

In the spring of 2018, the town cleaned and lined about three quarters of a mile of 12-inch diameter water main along Division Street, Woodland Road and Belleville Avenue.

In addition, the Bloomfield Water Department has previously said it’s planning to build a new water pump station at the site of the old Getty gas station on the corner of East Passaic and West Passaic Avenues. The station would draw water directly from the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission System in Wanaque.

• See related article: Bloomfield Has Spent $4M Fighting Water Contamination
• See related article: Bloomfield Struggles With Water Contamination (What Comes Next?)

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