‘Aggressive’ Salespeople Pushing Water Filters In Belleville: PD

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Dubious sales calls for expensive filters are being reported in Belleville, one of several Essex County towns that has seen recent worries over lead contamination in its water supply.

Last weekend, the Belleville Police Department issued a public safety alert about “water testing scams” taking place in the town involving “aggressive salespeople.”

Police said the salespeople are reportedly knocking on the doors of Belleville residents, claiming to work for either the state of the township. While there is a possibility they are working for a legitimate company, they are not employed by the town of state, according to authorities.

After a resident called police about one of the sales visits, officers set up a sting operation on Nov. 16, posing as local homeowners. During the operation, police had an encounter with a pushy salesperson, who told them that they needed filters on every faucet in the home.

The cost? About $12,000, the salesperson told police.

Belleville police have obtained the salesperson’s identification and have issued her a summons for soliciting without a permit.

“We want to remind our residents to report any solicitation attempts to Belleville police,” authorities said. “We also remind our residents that they should never allow any salespeople inside their home if they did not schedule an appointment.”

LEAD WATER FEARS IN ESSEX COUNTY

Several Essex County communities have been taking hard looks at the safety of their water supply after neighboring Newark’s struggles with lead contamination in thousands of homes.

In Newark’s case, the suspected culprit is privately owned service pipes that are potentially leaching lead into the water at nearly 18,000 homes. The city has embarked on a massive, multi-million-dollar effort to replace those pipes at no cost to local residents, a campaign that has gotten financial support from county, state and federal officials.

• See related article: Newark Isn't Only NJ City At Risk Of Lead Water, Map Shows
• See related article: Victory For Newark, Cory Booker Says; Trump Signs Water Bill

Newark officials have said the problem is confined to the Pequannock service area. The city sells water to other neighboring towns, including Belleville, Bloomfield and Nutley.

Belleville officials have said there are no restrictions on local residents in terms of drinking the tap water, and there is no reason to believe there are elevated levels of lead in the water the town receives from the Pequannock Reservoir.

Likewise, a recent round of testing at the district's eight schools showed no indication of lead – or other contaminants – in the drinking supply, officials said.

• See related article: No Lead In Drinking Water At Belleville Schools

Some people, including Mayor Michael Melham, have been quick to point out that Belleville shares a similar water infrastructure to Newark's, however.

The similarities include the cost of modernization. Replacing every lead service line in Belleville could cost up to $24 million, Melham previously said.

• See related article: Belleville Residents Drink 'Same Exact Water' As Newark, Mayor Says
• See related article: Belleville Monitors Its Own Water As Newark Deals With Lead Woes

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