Edison-Metuchen Could File Lawsuit Over Tainted Water Supply

EDISON, NJ – After Middlesex Water warned customers that the supply has high levels of the chemical PFOA, the Mayors of Edison, Metuchen and other affected towns have now retained legal counsel to investigate companies responsible and “file appropriate lawsuit(s).”

“I believe this litigation is absolutely necessary to get the truthful answers my residents deserve, to include but not be limited to assessing the accurate level of PFOA contamination, insure continued truthful and timely public release of critical information, and the complete details on what Middlesex Water Company is actively doing to limit continued exposure, and ultimately mitigate this pollutant. I will accept nothing less,” Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey said in a statement.

The Mayors have retain law firms of Vlasac & Shmaruk, LLC of Iselin, New Jersey and Berger Montague PC of Philadelphia.

“After thorough consideration of the multitude of concerns expressed by Borough residents regarding the Middlesex Water situation, we have decided to join in the filing of this lawsuit to help protect our residents’ interests,” said Metuchen Mayor Jonathan Busch.

On Oct. 22, Middlesex Water said they detected high levels of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in groundwater samples from the Park Avenue Treatment Plant in South Plainfield. The initial list of impacted communities included a portion of customers in Edison, Metuchen, and Woodbridge.

Then on Nov. 1 they expanded the tainted water notification to include the entire retail service area north of the Raritan River, affecting all customers in Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, South Plainfield, Clark, and Carteret which were previously not included.

The mayors of all the towns decided to pool municipal resources and to implement appropriate legal action to protect water users in their respective communities, the Mayors said in a statement.

Read Related:

Middlesex Water Says Edison-Metuchen Water Supply Has High PFOA

Middlesex Water Expands Tainted Supply Notice In Edison-Metuchen

Middlesex Co. Mayors Announce Action After Tainted Water Notice

Earlier on Oct. 27 Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac, Metuchen Mayor Jonathan Busch, South Plainfield Mayor Matthew P. Anesh, and Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey said they retained an environmental consultant to review the notice issued by Middlesex Water Company to residents of their respective towns.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a member of the group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), used in the manufacture of non-stick cookware and other products, including other commercial and industrial uses.

Middlesex Water said the heightened reading was due to a new shift in standards by the NJDEP. The NJDEP started regulating PFOA last summer. The company said the PFOA levels still complies with the non-enforceable EPA health advisory level of 70 ppt. However, the language in the notice was required by DEP regulation.

The water company also said they have begun litigation in U.S. District Court against the "party we believe is responsible for the presence of PFOA in our groundwater."

Meanwhile, they are constructing an estimated $47 million upgrade to their plant, which will utilize Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration to remove PFOA. The new plant is expected to be in service by mid-2023.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.