Newark, N.J.’s efforts to get the lead out of its drinking water received a $120-million boost in late August, accelerating the replacement of approximately 18,000 suspect service lines connecting residences and businesses with the city’s water system.
The low-interest loan, backed by the Essex County Improvement District, will enable Newark to complete in as little as 30 months a process originally expected to take up to 10 years, city officials say. Relying solely on state funding, Newark began swapping out lead-containing pipes with copper lines in March at an estimated cost of between $5,000 and $10,000 each. Just over 800 lead pipes had been replaced by the end of August, according to the city. Along with relying on federal assistance, which had been slow in coming, the loan also frees property owners from having to pay a share of the replacement cost.