Newark water crisis explained

Newark, New Jersey water crisis
Image Upright:1
Date:[1] – present
Location:Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates:40.72°N -74.17°W

The Newark, New Jersey water crisis began in 2016 when elevated lead levels were observed in multiple Newark Public Schools district schools throughout the city.[2]

Multiple water studies were conducted by both federal agencies, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and non-profit groups.[3] The lead levels exceeded the limit of 15 parts per billion set by the Safe Drinking Water Act.[4] As a result, the EPA ordered the City of Newark to provide bottled water and filters to affected customers.[5] As of January 2020, more than 200,000 residents were affected by the elevated levels of lead.[6]

Background

Much of the drinking water in Newark, and Northern New Jersey in general, comes from reservoirs.[7] Drinking water then is processed through water treatment plants to the final destinations throughout the region.[8] The water pipes that connect the main pipes to homes and businesses were lined with lead along with other chemicals.[9] The water destroyed the lead-lined pipes, causing the lead to leak into the water supply.[10]

The management of the city's water safety plan is under the jurisdiction of the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation (NWCDC),[11] under the direction of a board appointed by the mayor of Newark.[12] The New Jersey State Comptroller released a report in 2014 detailing widespread corruption throughout the agency.[13] In early 2016, multiple agency officials were arrested and charged with accepting bribes.[14]

Lead exposure

Lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death. No safe blood lead level has been identified.[15] Pregnant women and children are most at risk. Lead exposure has been on the rise in New Jersey, especially in children. The highest numbers come from Newark in 2017, where 281 children between six months old and 26 months old tested in the city showed high lead levels in their blood.[16]

Newark addresses the issue of elevated blood lead levels in children through several means, has been allotted and continues to seek grants from governmental and non-governmental sources. In the past decade, Newark has established and locally administers the State's only Lead-Safe Houses. The Lead-Safe Houses are used to relocate residents who have a child with an Elevated blood lead level (10 μg/dL or greater) when the family has no other temporary lead-safe housing alternatives.[17]

Timeline

2016

State and federal environment officials said that lead levels in multiple Newark Public Schools buildings were higher than the federal limit in March 2016.[18] The trade union representing Newark public school teachers and the New Jersey Sierra Club said that the school leadership knew of the lead problem in the drinking water.[19]

2017

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection mandated cities and towns to test the water supply twice a year.[20] A report published by the City of Newark stated the city violated the EPA's limit of lead levels in the drinking water.[21]

2018

In February 2018, engineering company CDM Smith said in an email to the City of Newark stated their prevention of lead pipes dissolving into the water system "has not been effective".[22] Subsequently, Newark distributed Pur water filters to affective residents.[23] During the height of the water crisis, Newark residents were able to receive 2 cases of 24 water bottles with proof of their address.[24]

2019

In August 2019, the city government received $120 million in funds to replace lead drinking water pipes throughout the city.[25]

2020

According to new tests conducted by the state of New Jersey, lead levels have dropped.[26] [27]

2021

By August 2021, almost all of the lead water pipes in Newark had been replaced with copper ones, solving much of the water crisis problem. Mayor Ras Baraka continues to encourage Newark residents to trust the city and get their water tested, since it is free, to keep the water crisis from occurring again.[28]

Response and aftermath

Several news outlets, including The New York Times, compared the water crisis to the one in Flint, Michigan. The Natural Resources Defense Council sued the Newark city government in 2018, saying the city has violated federal and state regulations regarding lead levels in drinking water.[29] Mayor of Newark wrote a letter to the President of the United States Donald Trump, asking for federal assistance and funds to help repair and rebuild the water infrastructure.[30]

Introduced in September 2019, the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act was passed by the United States Senate.[31] It was sponsored by New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.[32] The law allows the transfer of funds from the federal water fund to states.[33] It was signed into law on September 27, 2019.[34]

City response

In March 2019, Newark announced the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, which aimed to remove all 18,000 lead pipes throughout the water system.[35] [36] More than 38,000 water filters were distributed to city residents,[37] in addition to bottled water.[38] A November 2019 report released by the Newark city government said that "97.5% of the filters reduced lead to 10 parts-per-billion (ppb) or below."[39]

Notes and References

  1. News: 30 Newark Public Schools Shut Down Drinking Water Due To Elevated Lead Levels . 21 October 2019 . . 9 March 2016.
  2. Web site: Newark Drinking Water Crisis . . 25 September 2019.
  3. News: 15 August 2019 . TIMELINE: How Newark's water lead contamination crisis unfolded . . 25 September 2019.
  4. News: Hogan . Gwynne . 24 September 2019 . Newark Says Filtered Water Now Safe To Drink, Some Residents Still Skeptical . . live . 25 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190925141937/https://gothamist.com/news/newark-says-filtered-water-now-safe-drink-some-residents-still-skeptical . September 25, 2019.
  5. Lopez . Peter . August 9, 2019 . UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY . New York, NY . EPA . 2019-09-25.
  6. News: Nieves . Alicia . 3 January 2020 . Cities across the US are at risk of being exposed to elevated levels of lead in their water . . 6 January 2020.
  7. Web site: Brekke . Max . From River to Tap: How Your Water is Cleaned and Delivered . Jersey Water Works . 25 September 2019.
  8. News: Flanagan . Brenda . Lead concerns spread to towns that share Newark's water supply . 25 September 2019 . . 15 August 2019.
  9. News: Porter . David . Catalini . Mike . Lead pipes that tainted Newark's water are found across US . 25 September 2019 . . 13 September 2019.
  10. News: Sax . Sarah . How Newark got lead in its water, and what it means for the rest of America . 29 September 2019 . . 18 December 2018.
  11. Web site: INVESTIGATIVE REPORT NEWARK WATERSHED CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION . nj.gov . . 29 September 2019.
  12. News: Bruggeman . Lucien . For Cory Booker, water crisis awakens ghosts of past Newark water scandal . 29 September 2019 . ABC News . 15 August 2019.
  13. News: Giambusso . David . NJ comptroller alleges rampant corruption at Newark watershed, director pleads fifth . 29 September 2019 . . 19 February 2014.
  14. News: Giambusso . David . Newark watershed corruption 'staggering' even to jaded observers . 29 September 2019 . . 6 January 2016.
  15. Childhood Lead Poisoning. 16 September 2021.
  16. Web site: The number of N.J. kids with too much lead in their blood is up for the 1st time in years. NJ.com. Michael Sol Warren NJ Advance Media for. 2019-02-28. nj. en. 2020-01-24.
  17. Childhood Lead Exposure in New Jersey. New Jersey Department of Health. [26].
  18. News: Mazzola . Jessica . Lead in Newark schools' water dates back to at least 2012 . 29 September 2019 . . 16 March 2016.
  19. News: Kiefer . Eric . Newark Was Warned, Memo Says: Lead In School Water Supply Is A 'Smoking Gun' . 29 September 2019 . . 11 March 2016.
  20. News: Corasaniti . Nick . Kilgannon . Corey . Schwartz . John . Tainted Water, Ignored Warnings and a Boss With a Criminal Past . 28 November 2019 . New York Times . 29 September 2019.
  21. Web site: Baraka . Ras . 2017 Water Quality Report . City of Newark . 28 November 2019.
  22. News: Yi . Karen . Newark said its water was safe, but email reveals it was warned of problems months ago . 5 December 2019 . NJ.com . 18 July 2019.
  23. News: Yi . Karen . How did we get here? A look back at Newark's water crisis. . 5 December 2019 . NJ.com . 1 September 2019.
  24. Web site: 2019-08-25. 'Damage has been done': Newark water crisis echoes Flint. 2021-10-22. the Guardian. en.
  25. News: Corasaniti . Nick . Newark Water Crisis: Racing to Replace Lead Pipes in Under 3 Years . 6 January 2020 . The New York Times . 26 August 2019.
  26. Web site: Lead/Copper Summaries . New Jersey Drinking Water Watch . New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection . 22 January 2020.
  27. News: Yi . Karen . Newark lead levels are lower but still elevated, new water tests show . 22 January 2020 . NJ.com . 6 January 2020.
  28. Web site: 2021-08-22. Two years after Newark's water crisis, the city has cleaned up its act. 2021-10-22. PBS NewsHour. en-us.
  29. News: Leyden . Liz . A Water Crisis in Newark Brings New Worries . 5 December 2019 . 3 December 2018.
  30. Web site: Baraka . Ras . OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FROM MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA . City of Newark . 5 December 2019.
  31. Web site: S.1689 - A bill to permit States to transfer certain funds from the clean water revolving fund of a State to the drinking water revolving fund of the State in certain circumstances, and for other purposes. . . October 4, 2019 . 5 December 2019.
  32. Booker . Cory . 4 October 2019 . Booker Bill to Help Communities Get Lead Out of Drinking Water Signed into Law . Washington, D.C. . . United States Senate . 2019-12-05.
  33. Web site: Wheeler . Andre . Statement from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act . October 7, 2019 . United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  34. News: Kiefer . Eric . Victory For Newark, Cory Booker Says; Trump Signs Water Bill . 5 December 2019 . Patch.com . 7 October 2019.
  35. News: Scutti . Susan . How the Newark water crisis unfolded . 5 December 2019 . CNN . 15 August 2019.
  36. News: Newark Water Crisis: Officials Say 97% Of Filters Tested Reduced Lead In Water . 5 December 2019 . CBS New York . 29 September 2019.
  37. News: Fitz-Gibbon . Jorge . Lead filters working in Newark, tap water safe to drink: officials . 5 December 2019 . . 23 September 2019.
  38. News: Yi . Karen . Lead crisis in Newark leads to distribution of bottled water, after filters fail to safeguard homes with old pipes . 5 December 2019 . NJ.com . 11 August 2019.
  39. Web site: New Study Findings About Water Filter Effectiveness . Lead Service Line Replacement Program . City of Newark . 6 January 2020.

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