UPDATE: Lead in water for a month at Morristown hospital

MORRISTOWN – Staff or patients who ingested the tap water at Morristown Medical Center after mid-January may have been exposed to lead, according to a statement the hospital released Tuesday evening.

“Ensuring the safety of our water is a collaborative effort between local and state authorities. We have been working with the experts at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health, and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management to address levels of lead in the water at Morristown Medical Center,” the hospital said.

“Working with these authorities, we have determined that patients, guests, and employees at Morristown Medical Center between Jan. 22 through Feb. 25, 2016 who ingested tap water may have had an exposure to lead.”

Tests are conducted in 20 different locations throughout the hospital, and the latest tests identified levels of lead ranging from extremely low to those that exceed 15 parts per billion, a level which requires action according to federal regulations.

As soon as they learned of the results, the hospital said it “immediately and aggressively acted,” shutting off the tap water and switching to bottled water last Thursday, Feb. 25.

“At this time, and in consultation with the DEP, we remain on bottled water for drinking and food preparation,” the hospital said. “Tap water continues to be safe for hand washing, cleaning, and bathing. We are working with the DEP and DOH to determine a timeframe to restore our tap water supply.”

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Traces of lead were seen as early as October, according to testing results provided by the state Department of Environment Protection.

DEP spokesperson Bob Considine said the agency requires Morristown Medical Center to test for lead on a semi-annual basis. The previous test before February came in October, and 19 of 20 samples did not detect lead, though one sample did have a trace amount, he said.

An analysis of samplings from Feb. 22 and last Friday’s was completed Tuesday, and the results are expected to be released some time Wednesday, Considine said.

“We are still investigating the cause of the elevated levels at this location,” Considine said.

Mayor Tim Dougherty has not responded to at least 10 calls and emails over the course of three days requesting comment.

Morris County Office of Emergency Management Director Jeffrey Paul said Wednesday that the agency continues to offer logistical support to Morristown Medical Center as the aggressively address the issue.

Morristown Medical Center continues to use bottled water for drinking and food preparation Wednesday.

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The matter remains contained to the 100 Madison Ave. main campus of the hospital. Other Atlantic Health and Morristown locations are not affected, the hospital said.

Morristown Medical Center directed people to the NJ Poison Control Hotline, 800-222-1222, for questions about lead poisoning.

The hospital said it will convey additional information “as quickly as it becomes available.”

The news of the findings at Morristown Medical Center comes in the wake of the Flint, Mich. 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.

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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