FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 9, 2025
NJDOE Must Act to Support NJ School Districts in Accessing $94 Million in State Grants for Lead Remediation in Drinking Water
(Jersey Water Works and Lead-Free New Jersey Urge Swift Action to Protect Children’s Health)
TRENTON, NJ, October 9, 2025—With children’s health on the line, Jersey Water Works (JWW) and Lead-Free New Jersey (LFNJ) are calling on New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to support public school districts across New Jersey in applying for $94 million in grant funding to remediate lead and other contaminants in school drinking water. The application window, opened by the NJDOE on June 25, closes on October 31, 2025.
JWW and LFNJ urge the NJDOE to provide application guidance and answer applicant questions in a recorded webinar format, conduct proactive outreach to school districts with the highest lead in drinking water test results, and allocate a portion of the funds to enhance departmental capacity to administer the grant.
“These funds represent a critical opportunity to protect New Jersey’s students from the lifelong harm of lead exposure,” said Yvette Jordan, Co-Chair of the Lead-Free NJ Advocacy Coordinating Committee and retired educator. “But the clock is ticking, and we cannot afford to let bureaucracy or tight timelines put children’s safety at risk. The time is now to prioritize equity, vulnerability, and urgency.”
Authorized under the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act (P.L. 2018, c.119), the $100 million fund was originally announced in 2019, yet only $6.6 million had been spent by 2021. This new application release provides access to the remaining $94 million—but without urgent, proactive steps, this funding could once again go underutilized. NJDOE owes it to the children of New Jersey to make a serious effort to protect their drinking water at school and make full use of the funds available to do so.
JWW and LFNJ urge NJDOE to support school districts that discovered lead through this year’s required testing cycle in applying immediately. In particular, we encourage prioritizing:
- Elementary schools, given young children’s heightened sensitivity to lead.
- Older school buildings, which are more likely to contain lead service lines or plumbing.
- Communities with the highest rates of elevated blood lead levels among children under six, such as Trenton, Irvington, East Orange, Plainfield, and Paterson.
“Lead in drinking water is a preventable health risk, especially for young children,” said Nicole Miller, Jersey Water Works co-chair. “We know the science and the practical interventions. The funding is there, thankfully. Now we need all eligible schools to show the will and urgency to apply for the funding to protect their students, and support from the NJDOE to make this successful,” added Andy Kricun, Jersey Water Works co-chair and Principal at Moonshot Mission.
Eligible uses of the grant include:
- Replacing drinking water outlets
- Installing point-of-use treatment devices
- Building-wide automated flushing systems
- Lead service line replacement
- Upgrades to public well systems
The funding was rolled out mid-summer, a period when many local school boards are not in session. Now that the deadline has been extended, we hope it allows districts to organize and tap into this resource before it is too late.
“We are at a critical juncture where this year’s test results of lead in school drinking water will reveal the prevalence of lead and the risk of exposure to our New Jersey school children,” said Deandrah Cameron, New Jersey Future Policy Manager. “Appropriate time and guidance must be given to our school districts to take advantage of the resources needed to remediate. This funding must be accessible to the districts that need it most, not just the ones with the bandwidth to act fast.”
Exposure to even small amounts of lead can cause irreversible damage to developing brains, affecting memory, behavior, and academic performance. No level of lead exposure is safe, and ensuring clean, safe drinking water in schools is one of the most direct ways we can protect children’s futures.
“It’s important that when grant opportunities like this one—under the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act— become available to improve water access and provide clean drinking water for our students, that parents/guardians and community stakeholders are also notified in a timely manner,” said Nikki Baker, Healthy Schools Now Organizer-NJ WEC. “Water is essential, and no opportunity should be overlooked—our children’s access to clean, safe drinking water is too important.”
“Given this new round of available grant funding, school districts have all the more reason to move from truck-delivered jugs of water to improving school water infrastructure. This is where civil engineering and civic engagement connect,” said Jim Nelson, Lead-Free NJ member and leader with Jersey City Together. “The 2021 grant announcement was a catalyst for promoting our School District-Municipal Utility Authority-City collaboration in Jersey City. Additional community investment allowed us to do even more.”
About Lead-Free NJ
Lead-Free NJ strives to achieve lead-free policy wins through a solutions-oriented, collective-action approach that amplifies the voices of affected communities and individuals. Lead-Free NJ is a collaborative, community-driven coalition working to ensure that New Jersey is free from lead in homes, water, soil, and consumer products, especially in communities historically overburdened by environmental hazards.
[email protected] | www.leadfreenj.org
About Jersey Water Works
Jersey Water Works is a collaborative effort of many diverse organizations and individuals who embrace the common purpose of transforming New Jersey’s water infrastructure through sustainable, cost-effective investments and policies that support healthy, resilient, and equitable communities.