Filters Handed Out By Newark Effective At Removing Lead, Officials Say

Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that an extensive round of preliminary testing revealed that water filters distributed by the city of Newark are at least 97 percent effective at bringing lead levels to below 10 parts per billion, well under the safe threshold of 15 parts per billion.

Officials in Newark now say filters are virtually 100 percent effective in removing lead, following a limited study over the summer that sowed doubt about how well they worked.
Photo Credit: *File*

Paul Milo

09/23/2019 1:12 p.m.

(Click here for more information on the city's water line replacement program.)

The filters approach 99 percent effectiveness when residents run their water for about five to 10 or minutes, especially first thing in the morning or other periods when the tap has not been used for several hours or more, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

Pur water filters were distributed by Newark when testing revealed that as many as 18,000 households served by a water plant in Pequannock had lead levels above 15 parts per billion. Anything above that level is considered potentially hazardous, especially for vulnerable populations such as young children and pregnant women.

Testing at two homes this summer revealed that the filters might not be effective at bringing lead levels down to below 15 parts per billion, prompting city officials to distribute bottled water to thousands of residents. Officials meanwhile said more extensive testing would be done in order to gauge the effectiveness of the filters.

That testing, carried out using 1,700 samples, revealed that the filters are effective, officials said Monday.

Officials said instances where the filters did not appear to be removing sufficient lead could be attributed to misuse of the equipment, including failing to replace old filter cartridges. The DEP and the city plan to undertake a $1 million program to educate residents on the proper use of the filters.

Catherine McCabe of the DEP said Newarkers should use only city-issued filters and replacement cartridges. Residents are also reminded not to tr to filter hot water. Hot water will not damage the filters but the filters are less effective when used with hot water.

Residents can also still receive free bottled water for the time being and can also request tests of filtered water, officials added.

Newark has begun a program to replace all the lead water lines in the city within the next three years. The city is also replacing some lines in Belleville and Hillside, two communities that get part of their water from Newark's system.

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