New Jersey § 58:12a-40

§ 58:12a-40.

The Legislature finds that the presence of lead in drinking water represents a threat

to the public health, especially the health and development of New Jersey's children;

that pipes containing lead that connect water mains to homes and other buildings,

often called lead service lines, are a primary source of lead in drinking water;

and that, due in part to the age of New Jersey's housing, there does not exist a full

and complete inventory of all lead service lines in the State. The Legislature therefore declares that public water systems should fully inventory

all service lines and gradually replace all lead service lines, portions of which

may exist on private property; and that, given the risk to public health and the

resulting social costs that lead exposure imposes upon society as a whole, it is in

the public interest that each public water system be obligated to replace lead service

lines, including those that exist on private property, and be authorized to recoup

the costs of lead service line replacements from all subscribers of the public water

system.