NJ Water Utility Is Exposing People To Diarrhea Risk, Lawsuit Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice and New Jersey’s Attorney General have sued the Passaic Valley Water Commission, alleging its three uncovered reservoirs leave drinking water for roughly 800,000 North Jersey residents vulnerable to parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The commission has been under a state consent order to address the issue since 2009, and a 2021 flooding event contaminated one reservoir and triggered a 43-day boil water advisory for 230,000 people. The lawsuit seeks to force the commission to either cover the reservoirs or treat the water to meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.