A groundbreaking was held Monday morning for a water treatment plant in Ridgewood. It’s being built to remove cancer-causing chemicals that have been found in the public water system, which dates back to 2020.

“This is the third of 12 plants we will be putting online. The 12th will be completed in 2026,” says Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos.

The mayor says that at that point Ridgewood Water’s per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels will be reduced to non-detectable levels. 

“We didn’t put PFAS into the water but we’re gonna get it out,” he says.

The treatment plant is already under construction along Goffle Road in Ridgewood. It’s needed to remove so-called “forever chemicals,” some of which can cause liver and kidney disease and development issues in children.

This will help people in Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Wyckoff and Midland Park.

Since the findings came out three years ago, many have relied on bottled water and filtration systems in their home.

To avoid water rates from going up, Ridgewood Water is getting this work done with the help of $2.8 million in federal money - funds secured by Rep. Josh Gottheimer.

“We’ve clawed back $2.8 million from the federal government back to Jersey to invest in this project to provide clean lead and PFAS-free water to children and families across Northern New Jersey,” Gottheimer says. “What you’re seeing here is a permanent fix. Buying outside waters is very expensive.”

Ridgewood had been bringing in outside water and shut down some wells to reduce dangerous levels of pollutants.