“Water is the only utility you ingest,” noted Mark McDonough, President of New Jersey American Water, as he reflected on the serious responsibility that water utilities have to protect the health of the communities they serve. To deliver on this responsibility, water utilities must address ever-changing environmental challenges.
Posts Tagged ‘lead service line’
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! How Water Utilities and Communities are Addressing Changing Climate, Changing Regulations and Changing Lead Pipes!
Monday, July 17th, 2023Eliminating Lead Service Lines: Filling the Funding Gap, One Drop at a Time
Thursday, May 11th, 2023In early April 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a major change in the allocation of federal funds provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to remove lead service lines (LSLs), replacing a distribution scheme that failed to properly recognize states with older housing stock where the lion’s share of LSLs are likely to exist. This was welcome news to New Jersey, as the state’s allocation will more than double from 1.7% to 3.8%, increasing annual funding for LSL replacement by $35 million (73%), from $48 million to $83 million.
New Jersey Future (NJF) at the White House
Monday, February 6th, 2023On January 27, 2023, New Jersey Future’s very own Deandrah Cameron—policy manager and backbone staff for Lead-Free NJ and the Jersey Water Works’ Lead in Drinking Water task force—represented NJF and the state of New Jersey at the White House Summit on Accelerating Lead Pipe Replacement, part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.
Crossroads in New Jersey: Investing in Water Infrastructure “Post-Newark”
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022Indeed, the full value of Newark’s LSL replacement program lies not in its completion, but in what it suggests about what can be accomplished in communities across the state. Thus, following the completion of Newark’s nationally acclaimed program, the conversation across the state—and across the country—has pivoted from what happened in Newark to what should happen next.
Lead in Drinking Water in Public Schools: State Assistance Accelerates the Solution in New Jersey
Monday, September 13th, 2021Based on research conducted by the Trenton Bureau of the USA TODAY Network in 2019, approximately 480 school buildings across a third of the state’s school districts recorded lead levels that exceeded 15 parts per billion, the action level set by the federal government. Given the severity of the problem and the significant cost of remediation, it was clear that state assistance was necessary to protect students and teachers.
New Jersey Future Urges Congressional Delegation to Secure Funding for Lead Service Line Replacement
Friday, April 30th, 2021New Jersey Future sent the following letter on April 27, 2021 to New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation recommending a federal funding allocation to support lead service line replacement programs.
Newark’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program is a Model for the Nation
Friday, June 12th, 2020The City of Newark, New Jersey, has been replacing lead service lines at a rate of about 90 per day. On May 6, 2020 the City announced that it had replaced 10,000 LSLs, putting the City well on its way to replace all its LSLs within 24 to 36 months of its start date on March 13, 2019.
