Statement on Federal Court Decision in

Newark Lead in Drinking Water Case

NEWARK, N.J. (August 30, 2019) ­– A U.S. district judge today ruled she will not order the City of Newark to provide bottled water to residents who are pregnant or have children age six or under in the eastern part of the city, in response to a motion filed by the Newark Education Workers (NEW) Caucus—a group of public school educators—and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

For more than two and a half years, Newark’s drinking water has contained levels of lead that are among the highest of any city in the nation. The groups had asked the court to take action, presenting evidence that Newark’s response to the citywide public health crisis has been inadequate and leaves many residents unprotected.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency instructed the city to provide bottled water “as soon as possible” to some residents served by lead pipes, due to high levels of lead in the water. But many Newark residents are excluded from the bottled water program, including residents in the eastern part of the City served by the Wanaque system. While the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and recently the federal EPA have critiqued shortcomings of Newark’s water system, the city publicly denied that it had a serious lead problem and failed to take key remedial steps until after NRDC and NEW Caucus sued.

The following is a statement by Yvette Jordan of NEW Caucus:

“This decision is disappointing. Newark and the State of New Jersey should care enough about our communities to provide bottled water to vulnerable residents in all neighborhoods harmed by lead in their water.

The members of the Newark Education Workers (NEW) Caucus are appalled by the lack of attention to the needs of the students we teach, and their families and the communities in which they live. We will continue to carry on the fight to ensure that Newark residents have access to safe drinking water, and that the politicians of Newark, New Jersey, and the entire nation, fix the root causes of this public health crisis.”

The following is a statement by Erik Olson of NRDC:

“Everyone in Newark has a right to safe drinking water, but unfortunately thousands of very vulnerable residents do not have it. Lead in drinking water is a citywide problem that requires a citywide solution, yet Newark officials are choosing to deny access to bottled water for residents in the eastern part of the city—leaving children and pregnant women especially at risk.

“It is unfortunate that it took a lawsuit for the city of Newark to stop denying its drinking water was contaminated with lead. The NEW Caucus and NRDC will carry on the fight to ensure that every Newark citizen gets safe drinking water.”