New Jersey has paired its 2031 lead-pipe deadline with an unusually active statewide effort to help communities complete the work.
Deandrah Cameron, a policy manager at New Jersey Future, helps steer the Jersey Water Works Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup. The coalition brings together utilities, state agencies, advocates and technical experts to solve problems that can slow local replacement programs.
A 2021 state law requires water systems to replace all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031. The workgroup has translated that mandate into practical guidance, including a Primer for Mayors that details 10 measures for making replacement programs more equitable, cost-effective and efficient.
The collaboration has also helped address access to privately owned property, a persistent obstacle when utilities need to replace the customer-owned portion of a service line. A law enacted in 2025 requires disclosures for affected rental properties and prevents landlords from obstructing access for replacement.
Jersey Water Works also partners with the New Jersey Water Association on workshops that provide professional credit. The sessions allow water system operators to explain successful practices directly to their peers, giving other utilities approaches they can adapt to their own communities.
New Jersey’s model shows how an ambitious statewide requirement can be supported by local tools, clearer access rules and sustained knowledge-sharing among the people responsible for replacing the pipes.
The Jersey Water Works Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup is one of 16 honorees recognized by the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative and received the Policy Innovation and Leadership award. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8sKJvBc
Content supported by Environmental Defense Fund, RESOLVE, and Environmental Policy Innovation Center.
waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability. Visit https://www.waterloop.org/
Subscribe to catch every video: https://www.youtube.com/@waterloop
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to waterloop:
🎧 Spotify:https://bit.ly/waterloopSpotify
🎧 Apple Podcasts:https://bit.ly/waterloopApple
🎧 YouTube Podcasts:https://bit.ly/waterloopYouTubePod
Follow waterloop for more stories on water sustainability:
🔹 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/the_waterloop/
🔹 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewaterloop
#LeadPipes #DrinkingWater #NewJersey #WaterInfrastructure #PublicHealth
