ASSEMBLY, No. 3192

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 7, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JOHN F. MCKEON

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

Assemblyman  RAJ MUKHERJI

District 33 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Benson, Assemblywomen Eulner and Piperno

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires public water systems to compile, and submit to DEP, lead service line inventories.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning lead service lines in public water systems and supplementing Title 58 of the Revised Statutes. 

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  No later than one year after the effective date of this act, each public water system in the State shall compile, and submit to the Department of Environmental Protection, an inventory of lead service lines in use in its distribution system.

     b.    A public water system shall make its lead service line inventory available, upon request, and at no cost, to appropriate State and local government officials, and to residents served by the public water system.

     c.     No later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, the department shall develop, and publish on its Internet website, a guidance document to assist public water systems in compiling the lead service line inventories required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.  The guidance document shall reference industry best practices and standards for identifying lead service lines.    

     d.    No later than 24 months after the effective date of this act, the department shall submit a written report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, assessing the extent of lead service lines in the State and recommending new policies to address the public health hazards posed by lead service lines. 

     e.     The department may adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary to implement this act. 

     f.     As used in this section:

     “Department” means the Department of Environmental Protection. 

     “Public water system” means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-3).  

     “Service line” means the pipe, tubing, and fittings connecting a water main to an individual water meter or service connection.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill would require each public water system in the State to compile, and report to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), an inventory of lead service lines in use in its distribution system.  Under the bill, a public water system would be required to make its lead service line inventory available, upon request, and at no cost, to appropriate State and local government officials, and to residents served by the public water system.  The DEP would be required to develop, and publish on its Internet website, a guidance document, based on industry best practices, to assist public water systems in compiling the lead service line inventories required by the bill.  Finally, within 24 months after the effective date of the bill, the DEP would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature assessing the extent of lead service lines in the State and recommending new policies to address the public health hazards posed by lead service lines.