Credit: (Jo Zimny Photos from Flickr; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
File photo: A boil-water order was issued on Monday for customers in nine towns after a drop in pressure caused by a water-main leak in Piscataway.
A major leak in a water main serving up to 150,000 people in New Jersey highlights the urgent need for pipe renewal, advocates said, as the U.S. Senate wrangles over a multibillion-dollar infrastructure bill that is expected to help the state repair its creaking network of lines, pumps and drains.
New Jersey American Water, the state’s largest investor-owned water utility, issued a rare boil-water order on Monday for about 44,000 customers in nine towns after a drop in pressure caused by the water-main leak in Piscataway.
Credit: (ChrisGoldNY via Creative Commons under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Wastewater management plant in Newtown Creek, with the skyline of New York City in the background.
New Jersey has a golden opportunity to fix its outdated water infrastructure, thanks to a potential flood of federal funding. And the new leaders of the state’s top water-advocacy group want to ensure the money will go to where they say it’s most needed.
Andy Kricun and Nicole Miller, the new co-chairs of Jersey Water Works are urging state and local governments and water utilities to focus on underserved communities when deciding how to use billions of dollars for repairing leaking water mains, replacing lead service lines or eliminating combined sewer overflows.
Insights From A Water Equity Taskforce Member
By Andy Kricun
The Alliance is pleased to announce the release of our report, “Water Equity Taskforce: Insights for the Water Sector,” a report that highlights the achievements of the Water Equity Taskforce and the lessons learned throughout the project. The goals of the Taskforce were to promote water equity, the notion that everyone is entitled to safe drinking water and clean waterways no matter where they live or who they are, test and implement more inclusive and just strategies, and institutionalize equitable water management practices in the water utilities involved in the project.