NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Newark is getting a boost in paying for the replacement of lead pipes that are affecting drinking water.
A lease extension agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for Newark’s airport and port will pay the city $5 million more per year for 30 years, plus $5 million up front.
Mayor Ras Baraka says that while it isn’t directly tied to the recent water crisis, the money will help pay debt service on a $120 million loan the city is using to replace 18,000 lead service lines.
People were interested in these podcasts
The city has handed out bottled water to affected residents since mid-August, when a few homes with city-issued filter still had elevated lead levels.
Wider sampling recently found the filters working in up to 99 percent of homes.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.