ASSEMBLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2134

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 2, 2021

      The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2134.

      As amended and reported, this bill supplements the State’s "Safe Drinking Water Act" to allow customers of a public water system (PWS) that has exceeded the action level for lead or copper to request to have their drinking water tested for the presence of lead and copper by the PWS. The PWS would be required to include a notice on its customers' bills that advertises the availability of the water tests.

      The bill allows customers to request to have their drinking water tested when a PWS carries out a partial service line replacement on their lead service line. The customer would have six months after the completion of the partial service line replacement to make the request.  The PWS would be required to include a notice on the customer's bill that advertises the availability of the water tests. If the water test reveals an elevated lead or copper level, the PWS would be required to notify local health officials and the municipality.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      1)   define the terms “customer,” “department,” “landlord,” and “lead service line”;

      2)   require, at the request of a customer, the PWS to test the customer's drinking water for the presence of lead and copper for the duration of an action level exceedance and within 60 days after the PWS is deemed not to exceed the lead action level or the copper action level;

      3)   provide that, if a test shows that a lead action level was exceeded, to require, at the request of a customer, the PWS to test the customer's drinking water every 60 days for the presence of lead until the PWS is deemed not to exceed the lead action level or until two consecutive tests show that a lead action level was not exceeded; and

      4)   provide that landlords are to provide notice and information to the landlord’s tenants of the availability of requesting water tests and the results of those tests in a manner provided in the bill.