Newark Schools Shut Off Water Taps In 30 Buildings: Elevated Lead Found, DEP Says

Newark, NJ - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has advised the Newark Public Schools system to temporarily use alternate water sources in 30 district school buildings after recent testing allegedly found elevated levels of lead at various water taps.

According to a DEP news release sent on Tuesday morning, officials in the Newark Public Schools system “acted immediately on the recommendation” and began notifying school officials, parents and students of the results.

School administrators have also identified and delivered alternate supplies of water for drinking and food preparation as classes continue, the DEP stated.

“Parents should have no concerns about students’ water and food consumption at the school while the situation is addressed,” the DEP emphasized.

But not all local leaders were in agreement with the DEP assessment.

"The recent announcement from the New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection regarding the elevated levels of lead in Newark schools' water is appalling," JNESO District Council 1 Executive Director Douglas Placa stated in a news release on Wednesday afternoon.

JNESO represents the nurses at Newark's Department of Health and Community Wellness.

"Every child throughout the city of Newark and the state should be able to attend school without exposure to toxic, life-altering contamination in their water supply," Placa stated. "On behalf of JNESO District Council 1, we strongly urge the Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign legislation to properly fund the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund. We must learn from the mistakes of Flint, Michigan, and protect our children and families from this devastating but preventable contamination."

"As a Newark public school parent, environmental professional, and former School Board member, my heart goes out to my fellow Newarkers," said Kim Gaddy, Clean Water Action's NJ Environmental Justice Organizer and a current candidate for Newark’s School Advisory Board.

"It appears the most immediate situation has been dealt with but a lot more work needs to be done here," continued Gaddy. "This is deja vu all over again. We had this problem when I was on the board over 20 years ago. Newark has a role to play but the state really needs to step up, learn from the experiences of today, and do a much better job managing and avoiding such situations moving forward."

ACTION PLAN

According to the DEP, the agency and the State Department of Health are working in partnership with the district in its efforts to resolve the issue.

This includes a plan for “immediate, coordinated sampling of all points of entry and taps for all public schools in the district, including charters,” DEP officials stated.

In the meanwhile, authorities said that Newark public schools have temporarily shut off all drinking water fountains at the schools where elevated levels of lead were recorded. The district is also posting notices in restroom facilities advising people not to drink water from the faucets.

Replacement drinking water from water coolers and bottled water is available at all impacted schools, DEP officials stated.

WATER TESTS

On Monday, Newark Public School District administrators notified the DEP of the results of recent annual testing.

“A total of 30 school buildings recorded levels ranging from non-detect to above EPA’s action level for lead, which is 15 parts per billion,” DEP officials stated. “No building had more than four samples above the action level.”

The “action level” represents the threshold requiring additional testing, monitoring and remediation, officials explained.

DEP officials have requested past test results from previous years from the school district to be able to do a complete analysis of the full data set.

In addition, the DEP has confirmed that lead has not been found within the Newark Water Department’s source water, officials stated.

“In the vast majority of cases where lead is found in drinking water, it enters through the water delivery system itself when it leaches from either lead pipes, household fixtures containing lead, or lead solder,” DEP officials explained.

According to the DEP, drinking water alone is not typically associated with elevated blood lead levels; it is the buildup of lead from all sources over time that determines whether harmful health effects will occur.

Children can be given a blood test to measure the level of lead in their blood. Concerned residents can have their children tested for lead at the Newark Health Department.

A New Jersey Department of Health fact sheet on lead in drinking water is available online here.

For a list of Newark Public Schools’ most recent water sampling results, visit the What’s New area of the DEP’s Division of Water Supply and Geoscience page here.

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