A lead-pipe replacement timeline measured in decades collapsed to less than three years in Newark.
Kareem Adeem, director of Newark’s Department of Water and Sewer Utilities, says the city responded to its 2019 drinking water crisis by replacing more than 23,000 lead service lines at no cost to residents.
The program moved at a pace once considered impossible. But Adeem says its most important result extended beyond the pipes: completing the work helped rebuild community trust in the utility and local government.
Residents were included in the process, while partnerships with neighborhood nonprofits helped the city connect with people through organizations they already knew. The project also created jobs, workforce development, and training opportunities within the community.
Adeem credits sustained political will from Mayor Ras Baraka, the City Council, and county, state, and federal partners for keeping the replacement program moving.
Newark’s experience shows that removing lead pipes at scale requires more than construction funding. It takes a government willing to move quickly, involve residents, invest in local workers, and treat public trust as part of the infrastructure.
The City of Newark is one of 16 honorees recognized by the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8sKJvBc
Content supported by Environmental Defense Fund, RESOLVE, and Environmental Policy Innovation Center.
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