TRENTON, NJ—(SBN)—New Jersey Future has released the first compilation done at the statewide level of the results of school districts’ tests for lead in their facilities’ drinking water. The preliminary analysis shows that lead was found in drinking water in school districts of all types and sizes, and in all geographic areas of the state.
School districts were required to test for lead in their drinking water and to post results on their websites.Those that found positive results of lead were also required to notify parents and the Department of Education, and to describe measures taken to switch off any outlet with elevated lead levels and provide alternate sources of water.
“The drinking water testing results are especially significant for parents as their children begin another school year,” said Chris Sturm, New Jersey Future’s managing director for policy and water. “Parents in all public and charter school districts should be able to find test results on their district’s website, along with what actions were taken to keep children safe. Although the data we received is incomplete, we now know that more than 300 schools in New Jersey have at least one outlet that tested positive for lead.”
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The data, collected from the Department of Education, is incomplete for a variety of reasons. While all school districts were required to post the results of their testing to their websites and to inform parents and families in their district, only districts with lead-positive test results were required to submit data to the Department of Education. Hence a district’s absence in the data collected does not mean it did not test. A school district’s absence from the data also does not mean it had no lead-positive test results; several large districts, including Camden and Atlantic City, were not included in the data but have previously addressed the problem of lead in their schools’ drinking water.
The report includes recommendations for things the Department of Education and Department of Environmental Protection can do to make reporting easier and more comprehensive, to educate parents and vulnerable groups on how to avoid lead in drinking water, and to provide financial and technical assistance to school districts in low-income areas for short- and long-term lead remediation measures.
“This is a statewide problem that needs state-level attention. New Jersey is to be commended for being one of the few states to require testing for lead in drinking water, and state agencies should build on this important first step to work toward the best solutions,” said New Jersey Future Executive Director Peter Kasabach. “The first recommendation in this report is for more comprehensive and standardized data collection and reporting, which will ensure greater transparency at all levels and will help in determining an appropriate response to the problem.”
“Even low levels of lead can stunt children’s healthy brain development,” said Chris Sturm. “It’s important for all school districts with any lead-positive results to make sure they have informed parents, and have taken appropriate measures to ensure students have access to lead-free drinking water.”
The report represents the first statewide examination of test results for school drinking water. Under a 2016 Board of Education rule, all districts were required to test for lead in their drinking water, and all districts with drinking outlets that tested positive for lead were required to report their findings to the Department of Education by July 13, 2017.
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Steve Lubetkin is the news director for StateBroadcastNews.com. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. He refocused on multimedia journalism and podcast production after a long career in corporate branded journalism and public relations.
He has won numerous awards for his audio and video news reporting from the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced a wide range of audio and video podcasts in his other role as managing partner of State Broadcast News’s parent, The Lubetkin Media Companies.
Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional.
In March 2021, he was elected to the board of directors of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and in July 2021 he was named secretary of the chapter. In August 2021, he was honored by SPJ with one of the organization’s 2021 Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Awards, given to regular members of an SPJ chapter who go above and beyond in serving their chapter.
Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996.
Steve also has reported on-camera and produces virtual conferences for NJSpotlightNews.org, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC.
From May-November 2019, he produced and reported a weekly podcast, The CRE News Hour, a news and features program focusing on the commercial real estate industry.
From 2014 to 2019 he was New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com and filled in covering Chicago/Midwest and Atlanta.
Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies.
Earlier in his career, Steve reported on rock music at the Jersey Shore for the Asbury Park Press, and was a broadcast news anchor and production engineer for WJLK-AM & FM, then owned by the Press. He also worked as a general assignment reporter for the Red Bank Register, Shrewsbury, NJ.
You can email Steve at steve@statebroadcastnews.com.
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