
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water is once again in violation of two New Jersey drinking water standards . Ridgewood Water exceeded the PFOS at 13 parts per trillion and PFOA at 14 parts per trillion mandated MCL safety limit. An MCL is the highest allowable concentration of a contaminant in water delivered to a user of a public drinking water supply. (Milligrams per liter)MCLs apply to public water systems, including public community and public nontransient noncommunity water systems. Public community and public nontransient noncommunity water systems are required to routinely monitor for contaminants for which MCLs have been established and to take any action necessary to bring the water into compliance with an MCL.
This comes just a little over 6 months since U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Ridgewood Water announced a request for federal investment to improve water treatment in order to combat “forever chemicals” harming the local water supply. The publicly-owned utility has already spent several million dollars installing treatment technologies, but more investment is needed for Ridgewood Water to fully build the necessary drinking water treatment facilities to address lead in the water, PFAS, and other forever chemicals . Simultaneously the opening of high density housing in the Ridgewood’s Central Business District increasing demand for water when previously supply fell far short of meeting overall usage .
PFAS are a large group of manmade chemicals which repel water and oil and are resistant to heat and chemical reactions. Because of these properties, they have important industrial and commercial uses. PFAS are used in the production of some non-stick cookware, in waterproof and stain proof coatings, in “leak-proof” coatings on food packaging materials, in fire-fighting foams, and other applications. PFAS can enter drinking water through industrial release to water, air, or soil; discharges from sewage treatment plants; land application of contaminated sludge; leaching from landfills; and use of certain firefighting foams. Four types of PFAS have been found in the blood (serum) of greater than 98% of the United States population. These long-chain PFAS build up and stay in the human body for many years. The levels decrease very slowly over time after exposure is reduced or stopped. • PFOS: perfluorooctane sulfonate • PFOA: perfluorooctanoic acid • PFNA: perfluorononanoic acid • PFHxS: perfluorohexane sulfonate.
Some studies of the general population, communities with PFAS contaminated drinking water, and exposed workers suggest that exposure to PFAS increases the risk of a number of health effects. Health effects from PFAS are observed even within the general population without exposure to PFAS from contaminated drinking water. The most consistent human health effect findings for PFOA and PFOS – the most well studied of the PFAS types – are increases in serum cholesterol and uric acid levels in the blood and decreased antibody response following vaccination, as well as increased blood levels of some liver enzymes for PFOA. Although not as well studied, PFNA appears to increase blood levels of cholesterol and some liver enzymes. Human health effects are generally consistent with the toxicity of PFAS observed in laboratory animals. PFOA and PFOS caused tumors in rodents, while PFNA has not been tested for this effect. In humans, PFOA exposure was associated with a higher incidence of kidney cancer in both the general population and in a community with substantial levels of PFOA in drinking water, and with testicular cancer in the community with contaminated drinking water
Amazing… gets worse ever year… cancer clusters etc… how many folks in your neighborhoods over the last 30 yrs died from cancer?
Amazing!!!!! I’ve always questioned the water quality and the reports Ridgewood Water published and was drinking it more than 30 years. Have since moved from there but about 15 years started having weird immune problems along with lots of other weird medical conditions and always questioned the water as the problem.
Sell the water company
Completely unacceptable. We pay high taxes and can’t get safe drinking water!
When I turn on the tap in the morning it smells like a chlorine pool.
Reluctantly I use it to bath and cook pasta.
I would never drink it.
I’m going to switch my pets to bottled water as well.
Its ok for the toilet as long as it doesn’t splash on my butt.
Years ago I love the water it tasted amazing. But lately not so good.
We bought a water filter maybe 10 years ago.
Aside from central air conditioning, installing the filter was the thing we’ve done for our house here in RW.
I have neighbors telling me that they have been drinking straight tap water for about 30 years. I still can’t believe they’re alive unless they’re not telling the truth. You CAN’T drink this water unfiltered. I measure solids in this water frequently and the amount shown is way above recommended minimal levels. I guess it all depends on genetics and pure luck.
Ah, no wonder the vaccinations are not working!
yes we noticed that too …yes could be
According to the latest mailing, “Ridgewood Water has been aware of PFOA and PFOS detctions and has sought to educate our customers for years…” So shame on me that I finally realized that we have been paying to be poisoned. We have been and will be forced to pay this Village owned company for its contaminated and unsafe water.
My questions are who are the Ridgewood Water managers and trustees? How long have they been there and how much are they paid? Who is legally responsible for oversight given this fundamental failure? Is the Village financially capable of dealing with the liabilities associated with its failed management of this monopoly? Why is the Village building a new office complex for this entity when it cannot perform its basic function in a safe and proper way.
I would suggest that we make this a bigger issue at the next town hall meeting. Maybe if we threatened to set off our water bill with the expenses associate with the suggested and necessary requirement to “purchase bottled water or other home devices,” some elected official would move their asses and do their job. As I have said in previous posts, the Village is not a good business owner and manager. An empty parking garage that saps the Villages financial resources is contemptible. However, forcing people to pay for a product that causes problems with “immune systems, kidney, liver, or endocrine systems” and ” cause developmental effect and problems with the immune systems, liver or endocrine system in a fetus and/or an infant,” is beyond gross negligence and willful misconduct.
Don’t drink Ridgewood Water’s kool-aide. It may make you and family very, very sick.
Ridgewood Water should be distributing free bottled water NOW and until the water quality is AT LEAST under 10 pfas/pt.
Bottled water isn’t regulated at all. They do not have to comply with water quality standards and guidelines like a municipal Water supply does.The most popular branda of bottles water are simply filtered tap water . . . and by filtered, I mean suspended solids, not chemicals. I’ll take my chances with Ridgewood Waters aquifer source . . . less chemical treatment than Suez surface water or bottles tap!
And another thing..we all get vaccinated against Covid but according to the company’s latest mailing, ingesting the Villages water could negatively impact its effectiveness? Amazing how we are our own worst enemies.
The water is poison
but at least we have an empty useless garage
and teach our children good Socialist and Communist values in our schools.
It’s important to get your priorities straight!
Are they adding something into the water . Is it a government mandate let’s get all the facts so we know what’s going on.
” Get the Hell Out “
We spend around $75 to $100 a month on bottled water in our house.
We don’t even cook with the tap water anymore. Why isn’t Ridgewood water paying for it?? Or at least some allowance.
Everyone in ridgewood should stop paying their water bill.
How can the Village of Ridgewood ethically charge residents for toxic water?