Mahwah Water Department Named To Contaminated Site List: Report

MAHWAH, NJ — The Mahwah Water Department was included on a list of 43 sites in New Jersey contaminated with toxic chemicals, a new report by a national nonprofit shows.

According to the report by the Environmental Working Group, an activist nonprofit, the water is contaminated with eight substances above state or federal health guidelines, including perfluorinated chemicals, which could harm the immune system, and several others linked to cancer.

The Mahwah Water Department gets its water supply from United Water NJ. Tap water that was tested was taken at the water department and United Water NJ.

Water from several other Bergen County sites, including Ridgewood Water and the Fair Lawn and Allendale water departments, was also contaminated and listed in the report.

EWG said this week that at least 610 places in 43 states are now known to be contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS. That's up from the 172 the organization had identified in July 2018. A total of 19 million people have had their water source affected.

The new study gives New Jerseyans a comprehensive look at just how widespread the problem is, and offers a comparative glance at how severely area military bases, drinking water wells, and other sites have been compromised.

PFAS has long been a concern in New Jersey, and it's a concern that's brought state and federal attention to a number of counties.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has identified five companies it says are responsible for the "extensive contamination" and directing them to fund millions of dollars in assessment and cleanup efforts, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe recently announced.

To see all the New Jersey sites on the list, click here.

— With reporting by Tom Davis, Patch staff

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com