NJ Suburb Follows Newark’s Lead, Replaces Pipes To Protect Water

GLEN RDIGE, NJ — As Newark continues a massive effort to replace lead-lined pipes at thousands of homes in the city, one of its smaller Essex County neighbors is also embarking on its own quest to protect residents from water contamination.

Recently, Glen Ridge kicked off a project that will replace portions of hundreds of lead service lines in the borough. Although the town doesn’t currently have elevated levels of lead in its water, Glen Ridge officials say the project will improve public health and water quality.

Construction on 659 lead services in the borough started earlier this month, with an expected completion date in June 2020, officials said.

Learn more about the Glen Ridge lead service line project.

In Newark, privately owned service pipes at nearly 18,000 homes are suspected to be the culprit behind elevated levels of lead in residents’ water.

Normally, replacing lead service lines at a home can be an expensive process, with the average cost of replacement ranging between $4,000 and $10,000. However, with the help from county, state and federal sources, the city has embarked on a multi-million dollar project to replace all its lead service lines… at no cost to the owners.

As of Nov. 13, Newark has replaced 2,504 lines, city officials recently reported.

• See related article: Worry, Relief In Newark As City Replaces Pipes (VIDEO)
• See related article: Victory For Newark, Cory Booker Says; Trump Signs Water Bill

In Glen Ridge, however, some homeowners may find themselves reaching into their own pockets, according to town officials.

Glen Ridge’s program replaces the borough's portion of the service line from the water main in the street to the curb stop (the shutoff valve located near the curb line).

According to Glen Ridge officials, the borough has reviewed individual properties' water service cards to determine the material of supply pipe used from the curb stop of the supply line to the home. This section of piping is the responsibility of the property owner.

Officials added:

“Property owners where records indicate have iron or lead piping in this supply line have been sent a letter informing them on this condition, and providing options of them to have the line replaced if they choose. The borough strongly recommends customers plan to engage a contractor to replace the customer-owned portion of the lead service line.”

Story continues below

Glen Ridge isn’t alone in its quest to proactively deal with potential lead contamination issues. Other nearby Essex County towns such as Belleville, Nutley and Bloomfield – all of which purchase water from Newark – have also begun taking hard looks at their own water infrastructures.

• See related article: Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley React To Newark Water Woes

Hefty price tags for replacing lead service lines have also been quoted in Belleville, whose mayor recently estimated it could cost as much as $24 million to bring the entire township up to snuff.

• See related article: Belleville Residents Drink 'Same Exact Water' As Newark
• See related article: 'Aggressive' Salespeople Pushing Water Filters In Belleville

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.