New Jersey’s Bold Plan to Eliminate Lead Pipes (Video)
Jersey Water Works is proud to shine a light on New Jersey’s Lead Service Line Replacement.
During the 2025 Jersey Water Works Conference, Deandrah Cameron, facilitator of the Lead Service Line Replacement workgroup, arranged for leaders to be interviewed by Waterloop to shine a light on the progress made thus far. Read below Waterloop’s newsletter to learn more about the project.
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New Jersey is three years into implementing one of the nation’s most ambitious lead service line replacement laws — a 10-year mandate to identify and remove all lead service lines statewide.
According to a recent report, the early trends show something important: unknown service lines are declining, inventories are becoming clearer, and utilities are building the capacity to replace lead at scale.
Watch a video about the lessons in New Jersey.
Here’s what leaders across the state are seeing firsthand:
Jyoti Venketraman – New Jersey Future/Jersey Water Works
New reporting requirements under the 2021 law forced utilities to build new systems for data collection and accountability. Early trend analysis shows unknown service lines declining — a sign that utilities are successfully identifying what’s in the ground and beginning replacements.
Kristin Epstein – CDM Smith
Lead service line inventory and replacement is not just engineering — it’s logistics, data management, and customer coordination at scale. Thousands of individual service lines require precise tracking, verification, and communication.
Yolanda McCollom – Ridgewood Water
Building and maintaining accurate inventories requires strong internal systems. By expanding GIS capabilities and creating a “one source of truth,” utilities can track every address, document material changes, and ensure transparent, reliable data.
Hetal Mistry – Veolia
Field verification matters. Records alone are not enough. Excavation depth, material transitions, and real-world conditions often reveal complexities that only on-the-ground investigation can uncover.
Chris Casey – Boswell Engineering
Smaller utilities often aren’t staffed to handle the surge of resident questions that come with replacement programs, so providing a dedicated point of contact helps reduce burden on utilities while building trust with the community.
Chelsea Kulp – New Jersey American Water
Each community is different. Effective replacement programs require tailored outreach — multilingual communication, engagement with local leaders, and trust-building that reflects the demographics of North, Central, and South Jersey.
Alex Wells – Passaic Valley Water Commission
Access is critical. Replacing lead service lines means entering homes — often rentals — requiring ordinances, coordination with municipalities, and direct engagement to secure permission and maintain progress.
Leslie Parra – Brita
Public health protection continues during replacement. Certified pitcher filters provide an important safeguard while service lines are being removed, ensuring residents remain protected throughout the transition.
The report makes clear: early data is a snapshot, not the full story. Fluctuations reflect verification processes, permitting timelines, funding structures, and customer participation. Yet the direction in New Jersey is encouraging.
New Jersey’s experience shows that replacing lead service lines is not just about pipe — it’s about governance, data integrity, equity, public communication, and sustained collaboration across utilities, engineers, advocates, and communities.
The work is complex. The progress is real. And the lessons matter beyond New Jersey.
Video and newsletter from waterloop, a nonprofit news outlet covering water sustainability.
