The Bloomfield Council discussed possible solutions to above-average levels of contaminants in the township’s drinking water during last night’s conference meeting.
Residents had received a notice that the town’s drinking water violated the standard for levels of trihalomethanes, which are a byproduct of the chlorination process. Over long periods of time, consuming excessive trihalomethanes can cause problems with the liver, kidneys or central nervous system, as well as possibly increasing the risk for cancer. Infants, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to these effects.
This has been an ongoing problem for Bloomfield; residents received a similar notice a year ago. During the public comment period, Pat Gilleran presented the council with printouts from the New Jersey DEP’s Drinking Water Watch website , which showed the levels of contamination in Bloomfield drinking water have peaked during the 3rd quarter (7/1 – 9/30) each year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. She also pointed out that the 2011 Water Quality Report issued in June 2012 stated that, “The report confirms, without question, that your drinking water is safe and that is (sic) surpasses all federal and state standards for drinking water,” despite the fact that the report shows total trihalomethanes averaging 86 UG/L (parts per billion) during 2011, which is above the maximum contaminant level of 80 UG/L.
During the meeting, the council, township administrator Ted Ehrenburg, and township engineer Paul Lasek discussed possible solutions to the contamination problem.
Mayor McCarthy said Bloomfield should implement its own water system. Bloomfield currently receives its water through  the City of Newark. Newark water is sourced from the Pequannock Watershed, treated, transported through an aqueduct, and held in an open reservoir in Cedar Grove, according to information obtained from Lasek.
Ehrenburg said that more frequent hydrant flushing, particularly during the summer months when the heat makes the formation of trihalomethane more likely, may address the problem. He also said that there are a number of locations where the water system does not loop and just comes to an end, which could result in increased levels of contaminants, so more aggressive flushing of these locations should bring down the contamination levels.
Paul Lasek said that he had recently issued a memo to Ehrenburg describing the steps being taken to remediate the problem. The memo stated that he, assistant township engineer Steve Coppola, and township water operator Anthony Marucci had met with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on January 10, and that they will issue a letter to the DEP indicating that the township will be preparing a full Corrective Action Plan within the next 30-45 days.
The plan will include a review of the hydrant flushing procedures with the Fire Department, additional water sampling at the interconnections with the City of Newark to determine chlorine levels at the entry points, and incorporation of a third annual hydrant flushing at the water system “dead end” locations.
Lance Robbins answers questions from the council.
Prior to the main portion of the meeting, developer Lance Robbins of Urban Smart Growth presented an update to the mayor and council about the status of his project to convert South Junior High on Franklin Street into an apartment building containing 114 units. The project had been approved several years ago and no progress had been made since that time. Robbins said the project was delayed due to the banking crisis that occurred during the recession. He stated that he now was able to do business with the banks again and they are willing to loan money to build apartments.
South Junior High School, which closed in 1987, was built in the late 1930s and is an excellent example of Art Deco modernist architecture. Since the building is eligible for the National and State Registers of Historic Places, Robbins hopes to use historic tax credits to help make the project financially viable. He is working with Ulana Zakalak, a historic preservation expert, to ensure compliance with the requirements for historic building renovations. The project has already received approval from the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office, and Robbins has received some comments from the National Parks Service, which oversees historic restoration, but is still awaiting final approval.
Robbins said the apartments will all have open floor plans, consisting of 800 square feet or more. He said residents could request a wall if they desire one to enhance their privacy, but he said in a similar development his company did in Rhode Island, only about 10% of the residents requested a wall.
The project will need to go before the Planning Board for an amendment to the previously approved site plan. Robbins said that they would have an application ready in 2-3 weeks in time for the March 8, 2013 Planning Board meeting.
Robbins reassured the council that the project would be his number one priority once he receives final approval. However, he said, he may “need help” to complete the project, including the possibility of tax abatements. He said he is still studying the situation.
In other business, Mayor McCarthy appointed Russell Mollica to the Planning Board and reappointed Ric Stephan to the Planning Board as a full member. He had previously served as an alternate.
At 3rd Ward Councilman Carlos Bernard’s request, the council also voted to amend the township’s parking ordinances to prohibit overnight parking of vehicles with commercial plates on the streets. Bernard had also wanted to prohibit overnight parking of taxicabs on the streets due to a large number of cabs from Bloomfield Taxi parking overnight on Glenwood Avenue. However, township administrator Ehrenburg requested a week to 10 days for him and Police Chief Goul to work with the owner of the taxi company to find a solution that would not cause the business undue hardship.
The next meeting will be a regular council meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2013, in the council chambers at 7 p.m. Monday, January 21 is a holiday.
The NRA is suggesting that Bloomfield should put armed guards in front of the school water fountains.
Oh crap, now the libruls are gonna want to ban water guns.
Pat, is it OPRA time yet?
@sheepy It’s always OPRA time when there is a lack of transparency!