OUR APPROACH

We take steps to reduce the potential for lead to leach from your pipes into the water. This is accomplished by adding a corrosion inhibitor to the water leaving our treatment facilities, where needed. Some source waters are non-aggressive by nature, meaning there is no need to add corrosion control treatment.

Lead Service Line Replacement Program

We are accelerating the pace and replacing thousands of lead service lines each year. We estimate to accomplish the overall effort prior to the 2031 deadline as required by New Jeresy law.

This effort is complicated by the fact that property owners — not New Jersey American Water — own a portion of these water service lines, much like a homeowner owns the driveway that connects to the public street. Details about the material of an individual property’s service line have been largely unknown and spread across a variety of sources. However, we have developed a public facing inventory showing the location of known in our service area using property records, water quality tests and visual inspection of service lines.

Watch thisvideo to learn more about the water treatment process.

We are using this inventory and a sophisticated priorization model, both of which are regularly being updated with new information, to guide decisions about where to look for lead service lines and the timing of replacing these lines. Annually, we will use the model to identify proposed work areas for the following year. The model determines replacement areas based on several factors, including:

The likelihood that lead/galvanized service lines are in a given area.
How many properties in a given area are identified as either having or likely to have lead/galvanized service lines.
The number of critical facilities (e.g., child care facilities, schools) identified as likely to have lead/galvanized service lines.
The potential to coordinate replacement work with other efforts to minimize or avoid multiple disruptions to the same community.
Census information and other studies that can be used to identify areas where the population is at higher risk for negative health consequences from potential lead exposure (e.g. children and expectant families, median income below the federal poverty level).

In fact, over the last year, the company has replaced over 1,000 lead and galvanized service lines in the Hillside, Linden, and other areas in our central region, under a planned replacement program funded in part by the NJ Infrastructure Bank. This program provides low cost loans and principal forgiveness funds that help the company accelerate lead service line replacements in disadvantaged communities that have a high proportion of older infrastructure.

More information on our prioritization plan can be found here.

Our NJDEP Progress Report Forms can be found here.

Optimizing Efficiency and Reducing Costs Through Predictive Modeling

New Jersey American Water was approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to use predictive modeling as a tool to help continue to build our lead service line material inventory. Using this tool will help reduce the cost of the overall program by reducing the number of in-person inspections across our service areas.

Check out common questions below to learn more about this effort:

Predictive Modeling

What is predictive modeling and why is it being used?

Predictive modeling is a statistical approach to service line inventory development that will minimize impact on the majority of customers and save both time and money by reducing in-person inspections and test pits across our service areas.

Predictive modeling helps predict, analyze and interpret data. In this case, we are using predictive modeling to help reduce costs as we comprehensively map service line materials per state and federal guidelines. The more representative data that the model has, the more accurate and robust the outputs will be. The use of this type of technology has been approved by the NJDEP as a tool for utilities to help enhance their water service line inventory databases while keeping costs for identification low.

Why do you need to access my property?

We’re using predictive modeling to help build our water service line inventory. This effort enables us to continue successful compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and NJDEP requirements for service line material identification and replacements.

We need to verify the water service line material at specific properties to develop a robust and accurate data set for predictive modeling. Completing a physical verification (interior inspection and/or test pit) at pre-determined locations will improve the information for the statistical model.

We may select your water service line as one of the data points we need to verify in an effort to build the predictive modeling dataset.
The data going into the predictive modeling tool, or model, needs to be fine-tuned and verified a few times to make sure that it is outputting/generating accurate information.
Your participation helps your community. By allowing us to verify your water service line materials (self-report, interior inspection, and/or test pit), you are helping us create the most accurate service line inventory map possible.

I have already verified my line myself and reported it. Why do you need to come to my property?

We are requesting access to your property because we need another data point along the service line to meet the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) requirements. There are three distinct data points along a water service line including, one on the utility side of the water service, typically at or near the street, one on the customer side of the water service typically at or near the front yard or curb and one at the point the water service enters the building foundation.

I have already had a test pit/physical verification in my yard, why do you need to come to my property?

NJDEP currently requires more data points to consider the predictive modeling dataset full and complete. We are requesting access to your property because we need another data point at your property to meet NJDEP requirements.

Why did you choose my neighbor’s home, but not mine?

Test locations are determined based upon the several factors necessary to generate representative information across the service area. These factors often include the age of your home, location and records available. If you would like to be added to our list, you can by emailing us at leadfreenj@amwater.com. Our team will then add your address to our field investigations list.

What is the alternative to predictive modeling?

Under State and Federal mandates, all water providers must identify all water service line material for both the company-owned and customer-owned portion of every customer service line by 2031. Without predictive modeling, we would have to either perform excavations at all service line locations or have all customers submit information on their individual service line material. Using predictive modeling aims to reduce program costs, save time and increase replacement accuracy.

Results from Lead Sampling

The results from samples collected in your water system are included in your annual water quality report (also known as the Consumer Confidence Report) as well as in the Typical Water Quality Summary, both of which can be found on our Water Quality Reports page.

Because service lines, faucet fixtures, household pipes, and/or solder can contribute significantly to the lead and copper levels in tap water, we ask our customers to collect samples in their homes. These samples are collected on a routine basis (systems begin by monitoring once every six months with reductions in sampling possible that allow for monitoring once every three years) at homes that are considered vulnerable based on when they were constructed and the materials used. We do this monitoring according to the requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule and use the results to confirm that our corrosion control strategy is operating as intended.

Water Quality Reports

Each year, we proudly present our Annual Water Quality Report, also referred to as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). CCRs let consumers know what contaminants, if any, were detected in their drinking water as well as related potential health effects. CCRs also include details about where your water comes from and how it is treated. Additionally, they educate customers on what it takes to deliver safe drinking water and highlight the need to protect drinking water sources.

The EPA regulates about 90 potential contaminants and sets stringent standards for each one. New Jersey American Water takes water quality so seriously that five of our water treatment plants, have been nationally recognized with Directors Awards from the EPA’s Partnership for Safe Water program for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards.

Learn More

Customers can learn more at our More Resources Page.