In 2017, testing of Newark’s drinking water showed that over 20% of the city’s samples exceeded the federal level for lead. This was the impetus for a program to urgently replace lead service lines in the city. And last year, Newark marked the completion of that program during which more than 23,000 lines were replaced.  

There’s no doubting the need for upgrades to drinking water infrastructure elsewhere in New Jersey. And good news on that front came this week from the Environmental Protection Agency. It announced more than $142 million for upgrades to the state’s drinking water infrastructure, with the money made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. According to EPA, drinking water utilities in the United States “need $625 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure the nation’s public health, security, and economic well-being.”