Belleville Will Start Lead Pipe Replacement Soon, Official Says

BELLEVILLE, NJ — New Jersey is making every town and city replace their lead service pipes in an effort to protect the state’s drinking water. And Belleville’s own campaign is ramping up, a town official says.

When Gov. Phil Murphy signed a landmark package of bills into law last year, it started a countdown clock for towns across New Jersey, including Belleville. And within the next decade, every public water system in the state will have to replace their lead, galvanized and brass service lines.

The pipes – which connect local homes and businesses to the local water supply – can potentially leach contamination as water passes through them, one of the suspected culprits behind the recent lead water contamination in Belleville’s neighbor, Newark. A portion of the pipes may be privately owned, complicating efforts to replace them. Read More: New Jersey Is Replacing Its Lead Water Pipes – All Of Them

Belleville town manager Anthony Iacono gave an update on the status of the town’s lead line replacement project during the Sept. 27 town council meeting.

Iacono said that the town’s project went out to bid on Oct. 3, and Phase One is expected to begin in November. Hopefully, the town can begin work on lines at 400 homes by then, he said (see the Phase One maps below).

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham previously estimated that replacing the town’s lead service lines could cost up to $24 million.

• See related article: Belleville Didn't Meet Lead Pipe Replacement Quota: Officials
• See related article: Belleville Releases Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

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