By Kevin Coughlin
Patients, guests and employees at Morristown Medical Center who drank tap water there over a five-week period may have been exposed to lead levels exceeding the federal action level, the hospital said on Tuesday night.
Tests conducted in collaboration with state authorities have “identified levels ranging from extremely low to those that exceed 15 parts per billion” — a level requiring remedial action–throughout the 100 Madison Avenue facility, the hospital said in a brief statement.
The period of potential exposure was Jan. 22 to Feb. 25, 2016, according to the hospital.
As Morristown Green reported on Monday, the hospital has been relying on bottled water for drinking and food preparation since last Thursday evening, “out of an abundance of caution” after tests of its private well revealed the presence of lead.
The state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management are dealing with the matter.
“Working with these authorities, we have determined that patients, guests, and employees at Morristown Medical Center between January 22 through February 25, 2016, who ingested tap water may have had an exposure to lead,” the hospital said in a statement.
“At this time, and in consultation with the DEP, we remain on bottled water for drinking and food preparation. Tap water continues to be safe for hand washing, cleaning, and bathing. We are working with the DEP and DOH to determine a time frame to restore our tap water supply.”
DEP spokesman Bob Considine said the hospital is required to test its water semi-annually. Prior to last week’s results, the last round of sampling was performed in October 2015, and found only one trace amount of lead, he said.
Morristown’s municipal water is from a separate system that is not affected by this situation, Mayor Tim Dougherty said.
The hospital released no further details, and is referring questions about lead poisoning to the New Jersey Poison Control Hotline at 800-222-1222. A state DEP fact sheet is here.
“More information will be conveyed as quickly as it becomes available,” the hospital statement said.
Lead has been in the news since the discovery of high levels in the water of Flint, MI.
There is no “safe” level of lead exposure, which can cause a variety of health issues. Children and fetuses are most sensitive, according to the DEP. Before its use was banned in the late 1980s, lead was used to solder copper pipe connections, and was common in household plumbing and service lines connecting homes to public water mains.
