Well shut down due to contaminated water in Moorestown

MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) -- The city of Moorestown, New Jersey, has shut down its only working well after finding contaminants in the water supply.

Officials made the decision to switch to a new water source just ten days after a contentious meeting in which folks called for the action.

"Very happy the well's been shut down, and really excited we got to that point," said Kati Angelini.

Deborah Sambucci tells us she is breathing easier now that contaminants aren't flowing through her faucet.

Sambucci has been reluctant to let her children drink the tap water ever since the township reopened a well last summer that the DEP recommended be closed.

The contaminants include TCP, a potentially cancer-causing substance used for paint removal.

"Gabby's 3 so she's only drank water with these contaminants in it. I don't know what that will mean for her," said Sambucci.

"The residents have never had a true health risk at all," said Moorestown Mayor Phil Garwood.

Mayor Garwood says the levels were too low to threaten the public's health. They decided to begin pulling water from a separate company when they learned the fix for the well water will be in place this spring.

"The well is off. Right now we're using New Jersey American Water. There are no contaminants in that," said Garwood.

The switch comes a bit too late for Sambucci who had a whole house water filtration system installed on Friday.

"I'm going to keep it. It gives me reassurance," said Sambucci.

The township has had a contract with New Jersey American Water to buy 327,000,000 gallons a year. So it may not cost the township anything extra, unless of course all that water is used before the well is fixed.