Elevated Lead Levels Found In Drinking Water In Some Bergen Homes

High levels of lead were found in drinking water of some Bergen and Hudson County homes, the SUEZ water company announced Wednesday.

High lead levels were found in 16 of 108 homes where water was tested recently, SUEZ posted in an announcement Wednesday.

The 108 homes SUEZ tested all have lead service lines, SUEZ said. About 5 percent of SUEZ-owned service lines contain lead. Additionally, 15 percent of SUEZ's system has lead "goosenecks," or short pieces of pipes that connect a water main to a home's service line.

SUEZ spokesman Richard Henning said 53 Bergen County municipalities, or more than half, are affected by the announcement, NJ.com reported. But the company didn't identify the towns.

SUEZ was scheduled to provide an update on the issue Wednesday afternoon, but spokesperson Steve Goudsmith did not respond to multiple phone calls seeking comment.

The problem is with the treatment system's corrosion control system, NJ.com reported.

SUEZ said the contamination likely came from either pipes that go from water mains into homes, or from lead fixtures in homes, according to a NorthJersey.com report.

The problem is not system-wide and lead has not been detected near the Oradell Reservoir or in water at the company's Haworth treatment plant, NorthJersey.com reported.

SUEZ says it informed the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection about the elevated lead levels.

SUEZ said it will continue to "rigorously monitor" its system and will test water for the next year to "make sure that our corrosion control treatment is working exactly as it should."

SUEZ customers who are unsure if they have a lead service line can find out online at SUEZWQ.com, or by checking their account at mysuezwater.com/njwq or calling customer service at 1-800-422-5987.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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