Abby Warner is senior vice president of customer experience at 120Water and was a member of the Newark LSL replacement team.
In December 2021, the Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) officially went into effect, and a survey of water utilities shows that many are not prepared to address the scope of complying with the regulatory changes, which includes replacing lead service lines (LSL).
If systems are searching for an example of success in lead service line replacement, Newark, NJ, provides an outstanding model. In 2018, when routine water testing showed lead exceedances in both schools and residences in Newark, city officials felt the public pressure to prioritize this problem.
With an estimated 24,000 LSLs, the city knew that solutions like traditional anti-corrosion remediation techniques would just kick the can down the road while risking public health today. Yet replacing all these pipes would be a massive and costly commitment.
Understanding that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, Newark did not let the scope of the challenge scare them into inaction. Instead, officials devised an initial LSL replacement program aimed at removing all lead lines within 10 years.
With the support of strategic partners, the project was completed nearly seven years ahead of schedule and is already seen as a model program for other cities facing similar challenges.
As a partner in this project, 120Water had direct insight into why the Newark effort was so successful. Here are the top five lessons that other water utilities can benefit from.
Lesson 1: Utilities Need a Vision & Strong Leadership
The Newark community pulled together to accomplish something that no other city had done at this scale or pace before, and with no cost to residents in capital outlays, taxes, or water rate hikes.
Public works programs of Newark’s scope are often not as successful because they can overwhelm people and it can be easy to lose focus or passion over time. Newark was determined not to let this happen.
Before launching the project, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka asked the city’s director of water and sewer, Kareem Adeem, what he thought needed to be done in order to fix the issues. Adeem was adamant that the lead lines needed to be replaced. Period.
After months of negative national and local publicity, and public frustration over past efforts, Newark officials were resolved to win over a skeptical community with action.
Lesson 2: It Takes a Village & Some Good Laws
To be successful, a public works project of this size needs everyone to be on board. This includes state, county, and local governments, residents, contractors, and unions.
Prior to launching the LSL replacement project, two key pieces of legislation were passed that made the success of the program possible.
The first was passed by the state of New Jersey and allowed Newark to use public funds on private property. This was important since beyond the street, LSLs are the property of the homeowner. Relying on homeowners to pay for their portion of the replacement would have resulted in very few lines being replaced. With this law, Newark was able to use public funds to pay for the entire LSL replacement. It also allowed the city to file permits for homeowners, waive fees, and conduct free final inspections. In other words, this law removed all the obstacles an owner might have that would slow down or oppose replacement.
The second piece of legislation was a “right of entry” ordinance passed by the city council that allowed the replacement of LSLs without the homeowner’s permission. This was key as nearly 75% of Newark residents rent their homes. Without permission to enter a residence, the city would have to track down landlords to gain entry, which would have slowed the process significantly and would have inevitably resulted in some properties being left without a replacement.
With access no longer an issue, Newark could expedite the program and replace every line, block by block. With these two laws, Newark was able to go from replacing five to six lines a day to as many as 120 lines a day, with crews working all over the city.
Lesson 3: Line Up Funding & Partnerships
A project the size of Newark’s could not be completed without significant funding and strong partnerships.
To ensure the city had the dollars necessary to see the project to completion, officials looked for reliable funding sources. Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo was instrumental in securing a $120 million bond to pay for the LSL replacement program, allowing the program to move forward without putting the financial burden on taxpayers or property owners.
The other critical piece was building a coalition of public and private partners tasked with achieving aggressive goals. Newark relied on partnerships with the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection, the Essex County executive office, and support from former governor Chris Christie and current governor Phil Murphy to move the project forward.
Newark also leaned on key partners to fill in process gaps and act as an extension of their team. Engineering firm CDM Smith led the project, and they selected 120Water to manage resident communications and the direct mail distribution of post-construction sample kits.
120Water utilized its extensive lab partner network to process thousands of samples and had results sent directly to the 120Water software once completed. Managing the logistics of processing such a large number of samples would have been nearly impossible for the utility to handle on its own.
Lesson 4: Early Community Support is Vital
When it came to educating the community about the LSL replacement program, Newark knew they needed feet on the street. The city sent advance teams into neighborhoods, going door to door to educate residents on the lead program, outline what would happen to fix the problem, and ensure someone would be home when it was time to service their address.
These advance teams often were comprised of city employees and civic groups, many of whom donated their own personal time.
Lesson 5: Communicate, Then Communicate Again
There is no such thing as over-communication when it comes to a project of this magnitude. Newark developed a strong communications plan to combat any misinformation that might appear in the media and any misunderstandings among residents about what they were doing.
Newark used every possible communication channel to reach residents, including community meetings, direct mail and recorded phone calls.
120Water was tasked with launching a public education program called “The Newark Way of Thinking & Drinking.” This program sought to educate residents about the LSL replacement program, the actions residents can take to reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water, and the importance of returning water testing kits.
Communicating with the city’s large multilingual population presented a challenge, so 120Water’s EPA-approved, ready-to-ship water testing kits included clear instructions in both English and Spanish.
The 120Water team also made thousands of phone calls in English and Spanish to ensure water samples were taken correctly and returned in a timely manner. This expedited the process and enabled the tracking of critical data.
Finally, 120Water worked with the water department to develop informational activity books for children. These activity books were provided to kids in school to help them understand the program in a fun and engaging way, with the ultimate goal that they would share that information with their families at home.
One bite at a time
With LCRR in effect, many utilities will be tackling lead replacement programs in the near future. Most will not be as large as Newark’s, yet all of them will be complex and will have their own challenges.
Instead of fearing the process, utilities can learn from Newark by breaking down the plan: lining up community support, funding, and partners who are aligned with the mission to protect public health, then take a big step forward.
