Filter First: A Solution for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in New Jersey Schools and Childcare Centers

JERSEY WATER WORKS LEAD IN DRINKING WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

In 2025, New Jersey took significant steps towards ensuring lead-safe drinking water in schools with two crucial actions. The first one was the passage of a filter bill providing grant funds for point-of-use filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets. The second action was the announcement of round two funding for the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act (SOCFBA) grant funding for water infrastructure improvements
in schools. These steps mark a crucial milestone toward a statewide comprehensive “Filter First” strategy that prioritizes proactive filtration and ongoing maintenance.

Lead contamination poses significant health risks. Lead exposure in drinking water is preventable, but the damage is irreversible. Lead is harmful to human health when ingested, and it is particularly threatening to young children and infants.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) estimates that 20% of all lead exposure is from drinking water, with this percentage potentially reaching 60% for infants, particularly those who are formula-fed. Many school districts are aware that lead exposure from drinking water is a concern, especially in older buildings, but lack adequate resources to take remedial measures, such as removing internal plumbing and fixtures, including water fountains. Even if a school were to install entirely new plumbing today, those pipes would still have lead in them, leading to potential exposure. To ensure the safety of school drinking water, the “Filter First” approach prioritizes prevention over reaction — mandating certified filters on every fixture and enforcing strict protocols for consistent testing, transparency, and maintenance to provide a permanent safeguard against lead and other contaminants. Filtering at the point of use provides a lower-cost remediation mechanism for schools and childcare facilities with lead exposure from internal plumbing, including schools with pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and early elementary students. Still, even this step can be too costly for some school districts and childcare facilities.