Michael Warren and Karen Yi report for NJ.com:
First, it was lead. Now it’s a likely carcinogenic chemical.
Newark has again violated a federal standard, allowing a potentially cancer-causing contaminant to flow through the drinking water — and the water it sells to nearby towns, according to state test records.
The state records show Newark’s water contains high levels of haloacetic acids, a group of five possibly carcinogenic chemicals that are byproducts of the water disinfection process. People exposed to elevated levels of haloacetic acids for years are at an increased risk of getting cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The test results deal yet another blow to public trust in Newark’s water system.
The city is already under pressure to address elevated levels of lead in its drinking water and recently acknowledged it wasn’t properly treating the water for corrosive properties at one of its plants.
The elevated levels of haloacetic acids are not considered an acute public health emergency by state and federal authorities, according to Kareem Adeem, the city’s deputy director of water and sewer utilities.
He said Newark is aware of the high levels of haloacetic acids and is working to solve the problem. Specifically, Adeem said the city is making changes to its disinfection process and instituting a flushing program to remove old water from the system more quickly. and Karen Yi report for NJ.com
Read the full story
Like this? Click to receive free updates
