NJ health officials seek Mercer volunteers for Legionella testing

On the heels of the widespread discovery of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease in Hamilton Township, resulting in a handful of cases in humans in the past year that included one death, four more Mercer County municipalities served by Trenton Water Works are being asked to volunteer their homes for testing.

In a flyer circulating this week, the New Jersey Department of Health said it is looking for 30 volunteers whose homes receive their water from that utility across Ewing, Trenton, Lawrence, and Hopewell.

NJDOH did not specify a deadline to apply, but said homeowners would be able to participate at no cost.

Get our free mobile app

Renters are not eligible.

Officials said they are expanding their Legionella testing "to better understand home water systems served by TWW."

Participating homes must have their own dedicated water heater that is not shared with other units.

Legionella testing flyer (NJDOH)

Legionnaires' disease, a lung affliction that has the potential to cause severe illness in individuals over 50, or who have pre-existing lung or other health conditions, is typically contracted by absorbing or inhaling small water droplets in environments such as showers or hot tubs.

Those interested in volunteering for the sampling can sign up here, or scan the QR code on the flyer. NJDOH said it will contact residents whose homes are selected.

After processing results, health officials said homeowners would receive "personalized recommendations for maintaining your home water system."

NJDOH previously issued recommendations to limit the risk of Legionella exposure during the Hamilton investigation.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

States with the most registered hunters

Stacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.

KEEP READING: Scroll to see what the big headlines were the year you were born

Here's a look at the headlines that captured the moment, spread the word, and helped shape public opinion over the last 100 years.

What would happen to NJ if we were attacked by nuclear weapons?

We used NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein to see what would happen if a nuclear warhead hit New York, Philadelphia, Washington or New Jersey.

The models show what would happen in aerial detonation, meaning the bomb would be set off in the sky, causing considerable damage to structures and people below; or what would happen in a ground detonation, which would have the alarming result of nuclear fallout. The models do not take into account the number of casualties that would result from fallout.