New Jersey Future Statement on Senate Budget Committee Advancement of S3398 to Require Lead Pipe Replacement

Trenton, June 17, 2021—New Jersey Future Managing Director of Policy and Water Chris Sturm released the following statement on the Senate Budget Committee’s advancement of S3398, which would require water systems to inventory and replace lead service lines.

“This bill is a significant step forward in the fight to make New Jersey a lead-safe environment. We know the impacts of lead exposure—damage to the brain and nervous system, delayed development, and learning and behavioral problems, to name a few—and this bill, once law, will protect our children and help to put the problem of lead exposure in the rearview mirror. By drawing on lessons learned from Newark’s lead service line replacement program and best practices from around the country, a statewide program that mandates the replacement of lead service lines could be done effectively, efficiently, and equitably. New Jersey will be on the path to being a national leader.”