Newark ‘Confident’ In Lead Pipe Replacement Program, Despite Arrests
NEWARK, NJ — A company hired to replace lead pipes in Newark has been accused of running a scam on the city, federal authorities announced this week. But Newark’s program remains a “national model” for success, officials say.
Several years ago, the City of Newark hired JAS Group Enterprise Inc. to replace lead pipes as part of its battle against water contamination. Instead, the company allegedly left some of them in the ground – and collected their payment anyway, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Two people at the company were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. See Related: Company Ripped Off Newark, Left Lead Pipes In Ground: Feds
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The work in question was part of Newark’s Lead Service Line Replacement program, prosecutors said.
Five years ago, Newark made national headlines when it confronted a lead water crisis. At one point, the lead levels at some points in the city’s drinking water had risen to 47 parts per billion at some sites, more than three times the federal threshold. It prompted an outcry from residents – and a lawsuit from advocates.
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Newark eventually identified two sources of the contamination. One was the way the city treated its water, which allowed excess corrosion to take place in aging pipes. The city responded by rolling out a new method of treating its water, which is also sold to several nearby towns and cities in Essex County.
The second issue wasn’t as quick of a fix, however.
Newark officials traced some of the contamination to lead-lined service pipes leading to thousands of local homes. The pipes – which connect local homes and businesses to the local water supply – can potentially leach contamination as water passes through them. A portion of the pipes may be privately owned, complicating efforts to replace them.
Despite the challenges and scope of the project, Newark has since replaced more than 20,000 lead service pipes, a massive effort that got a big thumbs up from officials including Vice President Kamala Harris.
But earlier this year, a new speedbump emerged.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), gave some background about the issue in a joint statement on Friday. They wrote:
“In January 2024, Newark and the NJDEP were advised of concerns that, in some cases, third parties hired to replace lead service lines in Newark may not have complied with all requirements for full line replacement (example: from the water meter inside a home to the water main in the street). In response, Newark and the NJDEP initiated an audit to identify affected properties and commence inspections to verify compliance with lead service line replacement requirements to ensure the continued safety of all residents.
“The audit, which began in January 2024, included both a targeted and a randomized data assessment resulting in over 700 excavations.
“The targeted audit included 403 service line excavations. Of these, 33 properties were found to contain some remaining lead components, which were replaced. Consistent with Newark’s post-replacement protocol, residents were provided point-of-use filters for lead and flushing guidance by the city. The NJDEP is evaluating the randomized audit data set.
“Importantly, the NJDEP has confirmed that Newark’s corrosion control treatment has been optimized to protect residents whose water may come into contact with plumbing that may still contain lead components. Newark has also demonstrated compliance with federal requirements. At this time, there is no need for Newark residents to take any additional precautions with respect to their drinking water.
“Both the City of Newark and NJDEP’s leadership acted on these allegations as soon as we learned of them. We are proud that these investigations have led to arrests of individuals in connection with this matter, and justice will be done. We are also grateful to Newark residents who cooperated with the investigation, by allowing these excavations on their property.
“Despite the indictment of these parties, the city and NJDEP remain confident in the success of the lead service line replacement program, which has led to 23,190 replacements, and stands as a national model for reducing the risks of lead exposure.”
NEWS CONFERENCE
Newark city officials held a news conference about the arrests on Thursday afternoon. Watch the video below, or view it online here.
Baraka said that the city was continually fixing any issues it came across during the investigation “on the spot,” adding that the corrosion control efforts – which are separate from the pipe replacement – added an extra layer of protection.
“So there was no time that the residents in the city were in any danger whatsoever from having lead leech into their lines,” Baraka said.
“I know everybody was asking us questions in the beginning, but we could not speak as freely as we are speaking now, because there was an investigation ongoing,” the mayor said. “So I’m glad – by the grace of God – that we’ve come to this point, that it is, in fact, over, and that we have responded the way we responded.”
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