As communities across New Jersey continue to replace hundreds of thousands of old drinking water pipes made of lead, a coalition of advocacy groups warned this week against using PVC pipes to deliver drinking water because they may cause adverse health risks.
But North Jersey's two largest drinking water suppliers have been using copper piping in their multi-million dollar campaigns to rid their systems of decades-old lead service lines. Pvc Pipe Machine
Veolia, which serves 800,000 customers in Bergen and Hudson counties, has used only new copper replacement pipes, as has the Passaic Valley Water Commission, which is looking to replace all its lead lines in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson and Prospect Park.
"When we considered the health and safety of our customers, we wanted to ensure that we had the best material available," Bryan Frierson, a spokesman for the water commission, said Thursday.
That's not the case in every community nationwide that is using a portion of $15 billion the Biden administration earmarked in 2021 to replace lead pipes. PVC — polyvinyl chloride — has become a popular option for replacement water lines because of its lower cost. No guidance was issued by the federal government on which piping materials should be used for line replacements.
The report by Beyond Plastics and other environmental groups said PVC pipes release more contaminants into drinking water than unlined metal pipes, citing a 2002 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study. Most of the studies on chemicals released by plastic piping have been done in labs and not in real-world settings, the report said.
"In the months and years ahead, this new federal money will be flowing to state and local governments, and it's unfortunate the EPA is not providing any guidance on what is a safe substitute for lead service line pipes," said Judith Enck, a former regional EPA administrator for New Jersey and New York and the president of Beyond Plastics.
Since high lead levels were found in Veolia's drinking water in 2019, the company's $122 million project has replaced 10,500 lead lines in 55 towns. Lead levels have dropped considerably, according to state data. The water system, which includes several surface reservoirs along the Hackensack River in Bergen County, used to be operated by Suez, which recently merged with Veolia.
Despite having a goal to replace lead service lines by 2025, the Passaic Valley Water Commission is still hitting roadblocks in its efforts. Chief among them is getting property owners to give permission for utility workers to inspect the lines.
There are more than 5,000 lead lines that still need to be replaced in the four cities the utility serves. As of Thursday, the rate of completion for each was:
“This free initiative cannot succeed without customer participation, so we need our customers to let our inspectors in, or visit pvwc.com to check their water lines,” said Executive Director Jim Mueller.
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