Newark – Today Newark and Essex County announced a $120 million bond program to help fund lead service line replacement in Newark. This is in addition to the $75 million Newark has previously bonded to replace lines over 8 years. The new funding will allow the city to replace all lead service lines within 36 months.

Kim Gaddy, Clean Water Action’s New Jersey Environmental Justice Organizer, released the following statement:

“We applaud Essex County for stepping in to support Newark and its residents and are thrilled that additional resources will be available to get the biggest source of lead in water out of Newark’s system as quickly as possible. This is a comprehensive and equitable solution to a major infrastructure problem that will remove the largest source of lead in the water system at no cost to any resident. We look forward to learning more about this ambitious plan, how it will be rolled out, and how the city and county will hold themselves accountable to achieving these goals.”

The city must be transparent, and increase communications with the public about how to best protect their families while beginning to rebuild trust and replace lead service lines.”

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Clean Water Action has more than 150,000 members statewide in New Jersey and is the nation’s largest grassroots group focused on water, energy and environmental health. Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. We will protect clean water in the face of attacks from a polluter friendly Administration and Congress. www.cleanwater.org/nj