Facing Lawsuit, Sparta Officials Say the Drinking Water's Fine

Sparta officials are telling residents that township drinking water supplies are safe and up to standards and that information about water is right on the town website, the New Jersey Herald reported. The statement comes after a 2013 lawsuit by a currently suspended employee.

Pumping station operator Mark Nelson, who's worked for the town for 20 years and is on present suspension without pay, sued in May claiming his supervisors are retaliating against him for his 2010 refusal to boost the amount of lead and copper in Sparta drinking water just before the state Department of Environmental Protection was set to test the water. The lawsuit alleges that Nelson received several disciplinary actions and suspections after his refusal, the article said.

Tom Ryan, the lawyer representing Sparta Township, sent the Herald a statement Friday saying that the municipality is not allowed to comment on “pending litigation nor on confidential personnel matters.”