New Jersey Future Testifies at U.S. Senate Roundtable on Lead in Drinking Water

July 14th, 2017 by Elaine Clisham

New Jersey Future Managing Director for Policy and Water Chris Sturm joined a panel of national experts who delivered remarks July 13 at a U.S. Senate roundtable organized by Democratic members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Ms. Sturm was invited by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s staff to testify about the extent of the problem of lead in drinking water in New Jersey, and to discuss a range of proposed solutions. Both New Jersey Future and members of the Jersey Water Works collaborative have researched and provided testimony at the state level on problems caused by aging water infrastructure.

“Drinking Water: A Crisis in Every State” was a roundtable intended to provide an opportunity to discuss priorities related to drinking water contamination and related infrastructure needs. It is part of an effort to review funding priorities leading up to a larger infrastructure debate that is facing the United States Senate and to address key policy areas that may need to be included in a moving legislative vehicle. It is the second in a series of roundtables highlighting significant water infrastructure and related policy issues. The intent of this roundtable was to hear from drinking water experts about issues related to contamination in drinking water, including but not limited to lead and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs).

In addition to her remarks at the roundtable, Ms. Sturm also provided committee members with written testimony (PDF) that will be included in the record.

In addition to Sen. Booker, hosting the Senate roundtable were:

Tom Carper (D-DE), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Besides Ms. Sturm, four nationally recognized experts on lead in drinking water also testified, including Dr. Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech University. Dr. Edwards is one of the world’s foremost authorities in water corrosion and contaminants in home plumbing, and is one of the principal scientists assisting residents facing lead contamination issues in the District of Columbia and the Flint water crisis.