According to a report by the APP, state regulators recently tested homes for lead contamination. Nearly half of the homes tested for lead.

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Laurence Hajna, with the Department of Environmental Protection said 1 in every 34 Brick Township homes that were tested had more than 12 times the maximum level allowed by federal regulations. Water in at least one of the 34 homes included in the study had more than 12 times the maximum level allowed by federal regulations.

Experts say this problem is more common that you may think.

The controversy lies with the way Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority alerted residents of findings.

Because it is the Authority's belief that pipes and other materials from inside Brick homes are leading to the high lead levels, they sent a notice to all homes. They did not specifically contact the homes that had the abnormally high lead levels in their water.

Brick Mayor John Ducey told the APP that he believes it is the responsibility of the authority, not the township, to address the water problem.

"It's not the government's place to tell people to get their pipes changed," Ducey said. "This is a decision that will be up to individual homeowners."

Infants and children who drink lead-laced water could develop deficits in their attention spans and learning abilities, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's website. Adults who drink the water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure, according to the site.

The authority wants Brick's 75,000 residents to run their water for at least 30 seconds in the morning or when they come home from work, before using it. It is believed that water sitting in pipes for several hours has more time to absorb lead, officials said.

There is no indication that the township's water supply is contaminated with lead. Recent tests looking solely at Brick's water source have come back clean, Maggio said.

Do you think Brick Township properly notified residents about water conditions? Should the Water Authority and/or the EPA take action? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

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