Rep. Gottheimer Working To Eliminate Lead In Schools' Water

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Tuesday announced the next step of his plan to eliminate lead in schools' water supplies.

The bipartisan Lead-Free Schools Act would require districts test for lead in their drinking water and increase resources to help them do so.

Districts would be required to annually report the status and results of the testing on one website.

"Whether the results are positive or negative, schools need to send in their results. Right now, there’s a complete lack of data and tracking year to year, including types of water outlets, fountains, sinks, bathrooms, and frequency of use. We’re in the 21st century," Gottheimer. "We all know we can use big data to find trends. But the first step is collection and the second is transparency. We can’t solve a problem if we don’t know about it."

The bill would also create a targeted pilot program using existing resources to improve drinking water infrastructure in schools with lead in the water.

Gottheimer announced his plan at Ho-Ho-Kus Elementary School.

"Parts of the Ho-Ho-Kus School were built in the 1930s. Ridgewood High School opened the main building it uses today in 1919, nearly a hundred years ago," said Gottheimer, a Democrat from Wyckoff. "When infrastructure predates the phase out of lead pipes in the 1920s or lead solder in the 1980s, there could be lead in the drinking water, whether that’s in the water fountains, the halls, or the sinks in the lunch rooms."

Schools like Ho-Ho-Kus' and Ridgewood's have taken the necessary steps to repair their infrastructure, but other districts havn't, Gottheimer said.

“In New Jersey, we are blessed with the best schools in the country. Yet, here in the 5th District, as we have seen in school after school, we still have water fountains, sinks and pipes that are generations old, and that have lead tainted water running through them," Gottheimer said. That’s unacceptable."

Gottheimer wrote a letter to Governor Phil Murphy asking him to require districts collect more data about lead in water and require they publish the results on the centralized website.

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Photo: Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) calls on the state to protect schools from lead water. — Courtesy of Rep. Josh Gotteimer's office