The Jersey City Board of Education (BOE), Jersey City Together, and the municipal utilities authority celebrated the completion of replacing all the lead pipes at the public schools.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
According to JCT, 1,169 fountains have been installed at 44 buildings since 2019, which included 1,100 plus water fountains and more than 30,000 students served. This mean that the Jersey City Public Schools now have operational water fountains that are lead free.
The celebration coincided with the week of United Nations’ World Water Day.
“It took many years and hands to complete this but we made this happen,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Norma Fernandez declared at the Andrew D. Sullivan school, also known as Public School No. 30, located at 171 Seaview Ave, during a press conference yesterday.
She noted that the wide spanning the project is now complete, drawing applause from those in attendance.
“Jersey City remains committed to our children: We’re committed to providing our children with the freshest, cleanest water,” she added.
Fernandez added that other cities have similar projects and issues, proclaiming that Jersey City could be a model for how to replace lead pipes.
“This was a several-year process and it would not have happened without your leadership and your commitment to making this a reality,” noted Mayor Steven Fulop, adding that the city spent $15 million on the project via the Jersey City MUA.
Fulop also said that they are committed to “having the best facilities possible for 30,000 plus kids that use our public system here in Jersey City.
“Water is not a luxury. Water is a necessity,” Board President Noemi Velazquez declared.
Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley read a city council proclamation celebrating International Water Day, agreeing with Velazquez that it is indeed a human right.
“Staying hydrated improves cognitive functioning in children,” she added, noting that lead consumption can be damage children’s cognitive skills and development.
“When we work together, we can get a lot done, so let’s continue that. Thank you,” she stated to applause.
Jersey City Together activist Jim Nelson gave some context about how much work went into starting and completing this project.
“This project reflects the importance of connecting civil engineering and civic engagement … We were determined from the outset that this project would provide sustainably sourced safe drinking water for all students,” he noted.
Nelson further stated that there were three phases of the project featuring different schools in the city, starting with the schools that had the most serious lead contamination, which was first realized in 2006 after the city received a federal grant.
“For a decade, there was no funding to fix the water,” he continued.
Nelson said the city, the MUA, and the school district worked together to devise and implement the multi-year plan, also explaining that many new water fountains were added in addition to the existing ones.
He also mentioned that Jersey City Together held many events to keep the momentum going and to ensure the project was thorough.
Jersey City MUA Executive Director Joe Cunha stated that he is a product of the public schools and was disappointed to hear about the situation shortly after he took over his current post in 2019.
“I was appalled, appalled to find out that so many schools’ water systems and fountains had been shut down for so many years, some decades, which was absolutely insane to me,” he said, indicating that water bottles as a solution became difficult due to logistics.
“I was two weeks into my job as executive director here and he [Fulop] said, ‘what is taking so long for these fountains?’ … When you put groups and people in uncomfortable situations, that’s when you get change.”
The $17 million project was funded via the BOE, MUA, and a New Jersey Department of Education water infrastructure reimbursement grant, while Guarini Plumbing completed work.
The project took three phases over eight years. The first phase began in 2019 and was completed in 2022, while the second phase was completed in 2023, as HCV first reported.
Cunha later explained that the city is working on replacing lead pipes that service homes in the city and the $288 million endeavor is expected to be completed by 2031.
