Steve Jasiecki
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR A nationwide effort to rid communities of lead water lines that could cause health problems for children will be a major financial burden on the city over the next 10 years, Commissioner Lance Landgraf said Feb. 24.
The city has applied for a federal grant for its share of the state's allotment of funds to inventory and replace lead service lines, which also includes galvanized steel pipes. It also intends to file an application for funding from the NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
According to legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in July 2021, public water systems are required to replace all known lead pipes in their service area. That includes galvanized steel pipes, as well.
According to the NJ DEP, galvanized service lines are steel pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. Galvanized piping was commonly installed in homes built before 1960 and was used as an alternative to lead pipes for water supply lines.
According to Landgraf, residents should not be concerned about lead in their drinking water.
There is no need to panic, our water is clean. We do not have the lead issues other municipalities may have, but we are being treated like we do, he said.
The threshold for notifying residents there is lead in their drinking water is 15 parts per billion, while Ventnor's drinking water consistently has less than the high of 2.4 parts per billion reported in 2011, he said. Last year's water analysis noted the city's water included 1.2 parts of lead per billion.
We are well below the threshold where it becomes a problem for our drinking water, but the state is requiring us to replace all of the galvanized service lines that may exist in Ventnor, he said.
NJ DEP
Landgraf said although the city does not have lead service lines, most of them are made of galvanized steel. It would cost the city between $32-50 million to replace them.
We are going to be applying for funds from the federal or state governments or anybody who has funds to help with this water infrastructure, he said.
He called the law an overreach by the state, especially because there is not enough money available for every municipality. He said the law should include a caveat: state mandate, state pay.
Landgraf said he has been discussing the huge impact the law has on small communities with state legislators.
We are going to continue to push back on this, he said.
Public Works Supervisor Ed Stinson said about 95% of residents will receive a form letter prepared by the state informing them there is lead in their drinking water. A second letter prepared by the municipality will outline where Ventnor stands on the issue.
I don't know of any municipality has sent this letter out, Landgraf said.
The cost of sending out the certified letter alone will cost the city between $25,000 to $28,000, Landgraf said.
The federal government's $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law approved last year is providing New Jersey with $169 million this year for drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects, with $48.3 million of it for lead service line replacements. Four more years of funding will be available.
Learn more at https://www.nj.gov/dep/lead/
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