Michael Izzo

@MIzzoDR

MORRISTOWN – A concerning level of lead has been discovered in Morristown Medical Center’s water supply, according to a statement issued by the hospital Monday evening.

The concern stems from water test results that were taken last week at the main campus, located at 100 Madison Avenue, according to the statement.

The hospital operates on a well water system, so the town of Morristown and other Atlantic Health sites are not affected by the test results, according to the statement.

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“Out of an abundance of caution, Morristown Medical Center on Thursday evening, February 25, began using bottled water in lieu of tap water for drinking and food preparation,” read the statement. “We have been working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health, and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management to further examine this issue.”

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State DEP was informed late Thursday about water test and made a joint recommendation with the New Jersey Department of Health to immediately employ bottled water for drinking and food preparation.

Both agencies visited the hospital Friday to conduct a re-sampling of the water and have remained in contact with the facility since then.

“We are awaiting final results of that re-sampling, which will be analyzed and relayed to the facility,” DEP said in a statement. “Should the levels of lead continue to be above the EPA’s action level, NJDEP and NJDOH will continue to affirm that the hospital remain on bottled water.”

DEP’s Water Resources Management and Compliance and Enforcement teams are also working with the hospital to assess why its independent water system tested positive for the concerning levels of lead.

“Once the issue is pinpointed,” DEP said, “It will advise the hospital on a path forward to resolve it.”

The water at Morristown Medical Center is still safe for cleaning, hand washing, and bathing, as human skin cannot absorb lead, according to Morristown Medical Center.

Additional questions - including if anyone has been affected, if patients were being moved, or if there is a timetable for when the matter will be fixed – were not answered Monday evening.

The Morris County Office of Emergency Management is working with the hospital to help address the issue.

“We have been working with Morristown Medical Center as they aggressively address this concern,” Emergency Management Director Jeffrey Paul said. “We have been providing logistical support to ensure ongoing, uninterrupted operations. We will continue to partner with them as they work with MCOEM, the DEP and DOH.”

Officials said more information will be shared “as it becomes available.”

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The complete statement issued by Morristown Medical Center is below:

Morristown Medical Center conducts regular testing of its well water to ensure it is of the highest standard. Test results last week from our 100 Madison Avenue location caused concern about levels of lead in the water supply. As the medical center operates on well water, this does not affect the Town of Morristown or any other Atlantic Health System site.



Out of an abundance of caution, Morristown Medical Center on Thursday evening, February 25, began using bottled water in lieu of tap water for drinking and food preparation. We have been working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health, and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management to further examine this issue.



Water at the medical center is safe for cleaning, hand washing and bathing, as human skin does not absorb lead.



Additional information will be communicated as quickly as it becomes available.

The news of the findings at Morristown Medical Center comes in the wake of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, which began in April 2014 and has affected thousands of children in the area who were exposed to lead in their drinking water.

Lead in drinking water typically comes from lead soldering, pipes and brass faucets.

According to a fact sheet about lead in drinking water from the state Department of Health, too much lead in the human body can lead to damage to the nervous system, brain, and kidneys. Young children and fetuses are at greatest risk to lead toxicity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider a concerning level of blood in children younger than five years old to be 2.5 percent in the United States. A blood lead level greater than 5 microbrams per deciliter is a reportable amount, though there is no safe level of lead, according to the DOH fact sheet.

Lead can be removed from well water through point-of-use devices, and point-of-entry devices can reduce corrosivity. Water softeners and reverse osmosis units can also remove lead from water, according to the DOH. As of Tuesday morning, Morristown Medical Center has not stated how the hospital is taking care of the issue.

More information is available at the New Jersey Department of Health website at http://nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/dw_lead_factsheet.pdf.

Check back for updates to this story.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com