{"id":9269,"date":"2019-12-02T16:56:54","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T21:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/?p=9269"},"modified":"2019-12-09T10:52:31","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T15:52:31","slug":"new-jersey-major-steps-lead-in-drinking-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2019\/12\/02\/new-jersey-major-steps-lead-in-drinking-water\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey takes major steps forward on lead in drinking water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Neltner, J.D.<\/a><\/em>, Chemicals Policy Director.<\/em><\/p>\n

When it comes to addressing the challenge of lead service lines (LSLs), recent events in New Jersey have set the stage for long-term progress amid short-term crises<\/a>. The watershed moment came on October 10, when Jersey Water Works<\/a> and Governor Phil Murphy<\/a> held a joint press conference announcing their respective plans to reduce lead in drinking water that featured a shared goal of fully replacing the state\u2019s estimated 350,000 LSLs within ten years. A week earlier, Congress enacted a law<\/a>, authored by Senator Booker, enabling New Jersey \u2013 and other states as well \u2013 to secure critical funding by shifting the state\u2019s share of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund<\/a> (SRF) to the Drinking Water SRF<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the Governor\u2019s announcement, New Jersey joins Michigan<\/a> and Washington<\/a> as the only states to commit to fully replacing LSLs. It also becomes a leader among the 16 states<\/a> that have adopted policies in the past four years that support the hundreds of communities<\/a> taking action to replace their LSLs.<\/p>\n

As other states consider the LSL challenge, they should look to the process New Jersey used to reach this stage and its close coordination with state agencies.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

New Jersey\u2019s Stakeholder-Led Process<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key to the state\u2019s progress was a coordinated effort by a host of organizations, which were convened by a collaborative initiative called Jersey Water Works<\/a>, whose 500 members seek to transform the state\u2019s inadequate water infrastructure by investing in sustainable, cost-effective solutions. In December 2018, Jersey Water Works launched a comprehensive planning effort and established a diverse 30-member Lead in Drinking Water Task Force<\/a> that developed the plan. The Task Force was chaired by Chris Daggett<\/a>, former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator and former Commissioner of New Jersey\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). New Jersey Future<\/a> is the \u201cbackbone organization\u201d that supports Jersey Water Works, secured funding<\/a> to staff the Task Force, conducts the research, and drafted the plan.<\/p>\n

The Green and Healthy Homes Initiative<\/a> laid the foundation with its February 2018 Action Plan<\/a>. EDF provided technical support to New Jersey Future, primarily by sharing background information for the initiative and giving examples of efforts in other states and communities. Representatives of several other nonprofit organizations, public and private water systems, academics and state and federal agencies participated actively in the Task Force.<\/p>\n

While not coordinated with the Task Force, the Natural Resources Defense Council<\/a> and Clean Water Action<\/a> drove efforts in Newark to address the city\u2019s high levels of lead in drinking water.<\/p>\n

The Task Force\u2019s Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Task Force\u2019s report<\/a> set an aggressive goal \u2013 the virtual elimination of lead in drinking water in ten years. The ten-year horizon is largely defined by the time it would take to find and eliminate an estimated 350,000 LSLs. The use of the term \u201cvirtual\u201d acknowledges that leaded solder and brass fixtures will remain in indoor plumbing and must be managed through more effective corrosion control of the water and that leaded brass \u2013 albeit at lower levels than in the past \u2013 continues to be used in new faucets and fountains<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Task Force, which began its deliberations in December 2018, recommended 19 interdependent actions. Under the proposed framework, water utilities would offer no-cost, mandatory LSL replacements to property owners funded by modest rate increases and supported by a $500 million state bond issue to reduce the burden on low-income communities. The state would also explicitly allow rates<\/a> to fund LSL replacement on private property, enabling both greater efficiency and public health protection.<\/p>\n

Beyond these key elements, the plan also calls for:<\/p>\n