‘Not A Cause For Panic’: Newark’s Lead Water Battle Isn’t Over (VIDEO)

NEWARK, NJ — “This is not a cause for panic.” That’s the message from state and city officials, as Newark finds itself dealing with an unexpected twist in its battle against lead water contamination.

On Tuesday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) commissioner Shawn LaTourette and other officials announced that the city is carrying out a new audit in the wake of its highly celebrated fight against lead contamination.

The problem? A “third party” provider may not have done the job they were supposed to, officials said.

Three years ago, Newark made national headlines when it confronted a lead water crisis. At one point, the lead levels at some points in the city’s drinking water had risen to 47 parts per billion at some sites, more than three times the federal threshold. It prompted an outcry from residents – and a lawsuit from advocates.

Newark eventually identified two sources of the contamination. One was the way the city treated its water, which allowed excess corrosion to take place in aging pipes. The city responded by rolling out a new method of treating its water, which is also sold to several nearby towns and cities in Essex County.

The second issue wasn’t as quick of a fix, however.

Newark officials traced some of the contamination to lead-lined service pipes leading to thousands of local homes. The pipes – which connect local homes and businesses to the local water supply – can potentially leach contamination as water passes through them. A portion of the pipes may be privately owned, complicating efforts to replace them.

Despite the challenges and scope of the project, Newark has since replaced more than 20,000 lead service pipes, a massive effort that got a big thumbs up from officials including Vice President Kamala Harris.

• See Related: Lead Pipes And Newark: Kamala Harris Returns To NJ To Praise City
• See Related: Newark's Lead Water Crisis Has 'Effectively Ended,' Mayor Says

But now there’s a new problem, officials say.

Kareem Adeem, the city’s water and sewer director, offered more details about the situation. He wrote:

“In January 2024, the City of Newark and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) were advised of concerns that, in some cases, third parties hired to replace lead service lines in Newark may not have complied with all requirements for full line replacement (ex., from the water meter inside a home to the water main in the street). In response, Newark and the NJDEP immediately launched an audit to identify affected properties and commence inspections to verify compliance with lead service line replacement requirements to ensure the continued safety of all residents.”

“Between January 19 and February 1, 2024, Newark and the NJDEP conducted initial inspections at four properties where lead service lines should have been replaced in full,” Adeem continued. “At three of the four properties, some remaining lead components were found on the street side, between the curb and water main.”

These remaining lead components were immediately replaced, he said.

“Newark and the NJDEP will continue this audit over the next several weeks,” Adeem said. “During this time, some residents may be contacted by Newark to participate in an inspection to verify the full replacement of their lead service line. If and where any remaining lead components are identified, they will be immediately replaced.”

“Importantly, the NJDEP has confirmed that Newark’s corrosion control treatment has been optimized to protect residents whose water may come in contact with plumbing that may still contain lead components,” Adeem said.

“Newark has demonstrated compliance with the federal lead and copper rule,” he added. “Unless you are contacted by Newark to participate in an inspection of your service line, there is nothing you need to do at this time. This notice is part of our promise to you to keep you informed.”

The city’s latest water woes came to light during a “hot mic” moment at a Newark City Council meeting on Tuesday, when Baraka was inadvertently recorded on YouTube telling the council about the situation during a closed executive session, the New Jersey Globe first reported.

City and NJDEP officials held an impromptu media call to update the public soon afterwards (watch the video below).

“I can’t emphasize enough that this is not a cause for panic,” LaTourette said.

“The NJDEP and the City of Newark will do their job to ensure that we conduct the audit and make sure that all that service lines that are to be replaced in full have in fact been replaced in full,” he said.

Officials didn’t name the “third party” vendor that did the work, citing an ongoing investigation.

The addresses of the properties where the latest testing took place are being withheld for the privacy of the residents, officials said.

It’s still unknown what the scope of the problem may be. However, Baraka said that he is “comfortable that the overwhelming majority of the lead service lines in the city have been fully replaced.”

The ongoing investigation is expected to take weeks, authorities added.

LaTourette pointed out that under New Jersey law, full lead pipe replacements are required not only in Newark, but across the state by 2031. See Related: New Jersey Is Replacing Its Lead Water Pipes – All Of Them

“Somebody didn't do their job,” LaTourette alleged. “And you can be assured that the mayor and I will find that somebody and hold them fully accountable.”

Baraka added that he believes most of the workers who performed the lead pipe replacements in Newark did the work correctly.

“Even though everyone is not affected by this, everyone needs to know what's going on,” the mayor said Tuesday.

• See Related: NJ Will Save Much More Than It Spends Replacing Lead Pipes, Study Says

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