NJDEP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation And Arcadis Commence Lead Poisoning Prevention Week By Launching Collaboration To Accelerate Lead Pipe Replacements

In recognition of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) today announced a new collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Arcadis, a global engineering services firm, to accelerate the replacement of lead service lines in New Jersey communities.

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, running from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, is dedicated to raising awareness, advancing solutions, and protecting families from lead exposure in their homes and communities. The theme is No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure.

To mark the week, DEP announced an innovative public-private-philanthropic collaboration that will deliver critical planning, design, and predevelopment services to help under-resourced municipalities access New Jersey Water Bank funding for lead service line replacement and ensure safe, clean drinking water for their residents.

As part of this partnership, RWJF is providing a $3M guarantee to fund predevelopment services delivered by Arcadis, including lead service line inventories, engineering designs, phasing plans, and technical assistance with applications to the New Jersey Water Bank.

“New Jersey continues to lead the nation in identifying, reducing, and eliminating risks of exposure to lead in drinking water,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “In collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Arcadis, we will help even more New Jersey communities access the tools, expertise, and funding needed to replace lead pipes and protect public health.”

New Jersey enacted its nation-leading Lead Service Line Replacement Law in July 2021 – requiring all drinking water systems to find and replace all lead pipes within ten years – and DEP has made hundreds of millions of dollars available through the New Jersey Water Bank to support this critical work.

However, many New Jersey communities lack the planning capacity that is necessary secure and deploy the funding available to them. This innovative public-private-philanthropic partnership aims to change that by providing targeted support to help municipalities move from being shovel-worthy to shovel-ready.

“This collaboration seeks to level the playing field for communities that have long faced systemic barriers to infrastructure investment,” said Kimberlee Cornett, Managing Director of Impact Investing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “At RWJF, we use impact investments to tackle the root causes of public health challenges that disproportionately affect low-income communities. By investing in solutions that build the capacity of local water systems, we can help ensure a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right.”

Arcadis, which has extensive experience in water infrastructure and funding navigation, will work directly with participating municipalities to deliver technical support and planning services.

“By removing financial and technical barriers up front, we can accelerate equitable water infrastructure improvements and create lasting public health benefits for communities across New Jersey,” said Rebecca Slabaugh, Water Planning Director for Arcadis U.S. “We are honored to join NJDEP and RWJF in this important work.”

Through its Water Infrastructure Investment Plan (WIIP), launched in 2022, DEP has worked to better understand and resolve water infrastructure challenges plaguing New Jersey communities and utilities through short- and long-term investments that creates good-paying jobs while delivering safe, reliable drinking water, reducing flooding, and improving the quality of New Jersey’s waterways.

For information, contact the New Jersey Technical Assistance Program (NJ-TAP). NJ-TAP provides direct assistance to communities identified as disadvantaged or overburdened to identify lead service lines, develop asset management and capital improvement plans, identify sources of state and federal funding and public outreach to assist with lead service line replacement and other important water-quality improvement projects.