Ridgewood residents concerned, angry after water company reports system exceeds state levels of chemicals linked to cancer

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Residents of one New Jersey town are on edge after receiving another notice that their drinking water system contains higher levels of a family of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health problems.

As CBS2’s Christine Sloan reports, people come to live to live in Ridgewood for its school system and quaint downtown. Why so many are angry? The water company in the village still has not corrected the issue since discovering the problem more than a year ago.

A water company officials told CBS2 they have a response plan, they’re minimizing risk and this is going to take some time.

There are worries over Ridgewood’s water system after many residents received a notice from the Ridgewood City Water Department alerting them their water system exceeds state levels of a class of chemicals called PFAS and PFOAS.

“It’s very concerning that we pay our taxes and the water situation is as bad as it is,” Ridgewood resident Dave Lubkenman said.

Lubkenman says he now has to spend money on some kind of water filtration system.

“We have children. We switched over after we got the notice last year and did some research. We switched over to bottled water. Now we’re considering a whole reverse osmosis filtration system to the house,” he said.

Others are just angry.

“With the taxes we pay, it’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous,” one man said.

The chemicals found in Ridgewood’s water system are used in foam fire retardants and non-stick cookware, as well as “coating for upholstery and carpets,” according to the notice.

The notice also says people who drink water with high levels of PFAS over time could experience problems with their “immune system, kidney, liver or endocrine system” and that PFOAS can increase the risk of “testicular and kidney cancer.”

“It’s very concerning, and they need to do something about it,” one woman said.

The water company declined a TV interview but says, “We are in court to hold those companies who are responsible for the contamination accountable, so they, not you, pay for the costs of getting the job done.”

Officials also say they’re designing, purchasing and testing a treatment system, and the elderly, children and those with health concerns should drink bottled water.

One woman told CBS2 she wants answers.

“They just say it’s been around for years and years. It’s like nothing to worry about or get a water filter or whatever. It’s not taken really seriously,” she said.

Water company officials also tell CBS2 it’s important to notice that water providers across the country are dealing with the same challenges. They also say they have to build 12 new water plants. In Ridgewood, they’ve already built two of them, and one is under construction.

The whole process is going to be complete in 2026.