Statement from Greg Lalevee, Chairman of the Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative, on DEP’s Statewide Water Study

“The Department of Environmental Protection’s statewide water study offers a glimpse into the state of our water infrastructure systems. In order to keep these systems in good working order, however, we must take a good look at them more frequently than every 20 years. The release of DEP’s report comes the same week as a new study by NRDC showing New Jersey ranks 4^th in the country in drinking water safety violations. This underscores the need for a significant investment and permanent source of funding to maintain and repair our state’s outdated water infrastructure systems.

“The fact that nearly 4.5 million New Jerseyans were exposed to potentially hazardous drinking water is simply unacceptable, especially given that this a preventable situation if politicians act to invest in the latest water infrastructure and sensor technology. Experts estimate that New Jersey’s water systems require $8 billion over the next year to safeguard supply and ensure delivery and disposal of water and waste. With millions of New Jersey families relying on our water every day, we can’t afford not to act.”

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