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Newark Water Crisis: Bloomfield Officials Reassure Residents About Lead Levels

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey families worried about lead in their tap water pressed officials for answers at a public hearing Monday night.

The mayor of Bloomfield, city councilmen and lead experts updated residents on the effort to replace lead pipes found in homes.

The meeting comes as the neighboring city of Newark faces its own lead emergency.

Officials stressed Bloomfield gets its water straight from a reservoir and not from Newark.

Bloomfield started handing out free filters last year after 16 homes tested positive for high lead levels.

"You can't see it. You can't taste it. You can't smell it. The only way you're gonna know it's there is if it's tested," Bloomfield Township Administrator Matt Watkins said.

The Bloomfield mayor says the city already replaced lead pipes in 45 homes and is working to fix another 20.

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