Newark, NJ – August 15, 2019 – The City of Newark today announced new partnerships with the United Way of Essex and West Hudson and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey to create an online water fund and to coordinate bottled water donations to support Newark families.

“I would like to thank the United Way of Essex and West Hudson and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey for stepping up and giving people a way to support their fellow neighbors,” said Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “We are committed to providing access to safe drinking water to residents, and we are grateful for the support of innovative community partners as we work tirelessly to address this situation for the people of this great city.”

Anyone interested in supporting Newark families in the Pequannock service area who have lead service lines may do the following:
· Make an online gift toward purchasing bottled water at https://uwewh.org/water/
      o   100% of online gifts will go towards purchasing bottled water
· Make donations to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, located at 31 Evans Terminal, Hillside, New Jersey 07205. Additional locations to be announced

“United Way is committed to the health and well-being of our residents in Newark,” said Catherine Wilson, President and CEO of the United Way of Essex West Hudson. “Our work is to bring together our donors and corporate partners in support of our communities in need. This is a critical need for the City of Newark and we recognize our role is to help facilitate the coordination and deployment of resources to our most vulnerable.”

"Responding to families during times of need is an essential part of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey's mission," said Carlos Rodriguez, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "The FoodBank is a critical agency responsible for New Jersey's infrastructure and food distribution during emergencies. We look forward to facilitating donations and coordinating logistics alongside Newark and our partners to ensure access to safe drinking water for all of our Newark neighbors in need."

Recent testing by the City of Newark of water samples taken from three Newark homes using water filters found elevated lead levels in filtered water in two of the homes. At this time, the City of Newark is aware of only two residences where water filters may not be removing lead to the low levels expected by city, state and federal officials. The City is closely coordinating with the Governor’s office, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), and the filter manufacturer to determine the full scope of the situation and best course of action.

Until additional testing is completed and out of an abundance of caution, bottled water will be provided by the City and State. At this time, residents in the Pequannock service area who have lead services lines are advised to use bottled water for drinking, cooking and preparing baby formula. Impacted residents can pick up water at the following locations:
‍

8:30am-4:30pm – Monday through Friday; this weekend 11:00 am-6:00pm on Saturday and 11:00am-5:00pm on Sunday
   The City of Newark Department of Health and Wellness
    Pregnant mothers and residents who are on WIC are advised to go to the Department of Health and Wellness
11:00am-7:00pm – Monday through Friday; Saturday 11:00 am-6:00 pm; Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm
    Bo Porter Sports Complex, 378 Lyons Avenue
    Boylan Street Recreation Center, 916 South Orange Avenue
    Vince Lombardi Center, 201 Bloomfield Avenue

If residents would like to determine their eligibility for bottled water, they may use the mapping tool on www.NewarkLeadServiceLine.com. Bottled water will be available while the City continues to conduct extensive testing with the NJDEP and US EPA. When additional testing results are complete, the City, NJDEP and US EPA will evaluate the data and identify the required corrective action as quickly as possible.

- NEWARK -