{"id":1232,"date":"2019-08-17T10:48:05","date_gmt":"2019-08-17T10:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2026-04-14T02:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T02:35:43","slug":"ineffective-filters-plague-newark-n-j-lead-contaminated-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/ineffective-filters-plague-newark-n-j-lead-contaminated-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Ineffective Filters Plague Newark, N.J. – Lead Contaminated Water"},"content":{"rendered":"
Quick Answer:<\/strong> Newark, NJ faced a severe lead contamination crisis when city-distributed water filters failed to reduce lead adequately due to corrosive water chemistry incompatibility. The EPA took enforcement action in 2019, and the city accelerated lead service line replacement. The crisis highlighted that filter certification must match actual water chemistry — no filter protects against all water conditions.<\/div>\n

Just last fall, Newark city in new Jersey distributed around 40,000 filters door to door to help families with lead supply lines. This was done to fight against the lead contamination found in the water which leaked through the old pipes. A recent test by EPA reported that the filters provided to eliminate lead may not be effective. And the report is now confirmed as the city began handing out bottled water last Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The city, which is not new to the problem of lead contamination faces yet another problem with the fleeting solution of filters. The largest supply in the state, the city provides water to 280,000 people. To cope with the problem of lead, the city handed out filters and cartridges which claimed to remove 99% of the contamination. EPA\u2019s report, stating otherwise found that the suggested filters \u201cmay not be reliably effective.\u201d Tests were conducted on two homes and samples showed that the filtered water had lead levels more than 15 parts per billion, a Federal and State standard.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is The Level Of Damage?<\/b><\/p>\n

Around 15,000 homes had lead service supply lines which brought the contamination into their houses. Lead contamination can cause more harm to children and pregnant women as they are the most vulnerable. Authorities have made it clear that there is no safe level of lead and that the dangers of exposure include infertility, cognitive dysfunction, and organ damage. The city has now advised the residents to take precautions and get their families checked for exposure levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Bottled Water Enough?<\/b><\/p>\n

The authorities have already sprung in action by distributing bottled water to the houses. However, the supply may not be regular every day as the city has to provide for 15,000 homes, maybe more. Additionally, the transport of bottles each day may require more time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emmett Coleman, a Newark resident,\u00a0<\/span>told USA Today\u00a0<\/span>that he spent an hour on Monday waiting for two cases of bottles. <\/span>“In the senior building, it’s bad,”<\/span><\/i> he said. <\/span>“All of us are sick or have problems, and we can’t drink the water. And the filters aren’t working<\/strong>.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In January, the Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka urged the President to help repair and rebuild the city\u2019s water infrastructure. Repairing the lead lines alone is estimated to cost $70 million said, Baraka. Till now, help hasn\u2019t arrived while the filters give out. Bottled supply may not be enough every time and so one will have to look for additional sources of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Can I Ensure Constant Water Supply At Home?<\/b><\/p>\n

For the time, it is helpful for residents to start considering purchasing compact treatment alternatives for the home. It can be <\/span>3-5 Stage RO<\/span><\/a> Purifiers that are verified for their performance or emergency portable watermakers. If one is not willing to get a system installed then <\/span>portable emergency systems<\/span><\/a> are the best, they can be moved and used everywhere. As an option, communities can come together to get a mobile reverse osmosis unit that will be providing safe drinking water in the matter of minutes in areas where bottles may not reach on time. Read more<\/a><\/strong> about safe alternatives for a constant supply here.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have any questions about how to gain access to safe supply, call AMPAC USA at (909) 548 4900 or drop us an inquiry through our website <\/span>www.ampac1.com<\/span><\/a>. The company experts shall be helping you out with your water supply immediately and we have customer service ready to assist you 24×7.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What flow rates are available for emergency water treatment?<\/h3>\n
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AMPAC USA's emergency systems range from 1,500 GPD portable units to 50,000+ GPD trailer-mounted systems. Military-specification units are available for forward operating base deployment, producing potable water meeting EPA and WHO drinking water standards from virtually any source.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Are emergency RO systems suitable for disaster relief operations?<\/h3>\n
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Yes. AMPAC USA's emergency systems are used by FEMA, the U.S. military, and international NGOs for disaster relief. They treat flood water, contaminated groundwater, and brackish sources, removing bacteria, viruses, and chemical contaminants to produce safe drinking water on-site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What power sources can emergency water purification systems use?<\/h3>\n
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AMPAC USA's emergency systems can run on generator power (120\/240V or 480V 3-phase), solar panels with battery backup, or vehicle power take-off (PTO). Low-power models consume as little as 0.5 kW, making them viable for off-grid deployment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How durable are military-grade water purification systems?<\/h3>\n
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AMPAC USA's military systems are built to MIL-SPEC standards with stainless steel frames, powder-coated components, and UV-resistant materials. They are designed to operate in temperatures from -20\u00b0F to 120\u00b0F and are vibration-tested for transport in military vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n

This post highlighted how emergency and military-grade water purification systems provide safe drinking water rapidly in the most challenging field conditions. For organizations requiring deployable water treatment capability, AMPAC USA engineers portable and trailer-mounted systems built to perform wherever they are needed. Contact our team at info@ampac1.com or (909) 548-4900 to discuss your emergency water treatment requirements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Newark Lead Crisis: Lessons for Lead Removal in Drinking Water<\/h2>\n

Newark, New Jersey’s lead water crisis became a national flashpoint in 2019 when the EPA issued a rare administrative order requiring the city to take immediate corrective action after lead levels exceeded the EPA action level of 15 ppb in numerous samples. What made Newark particularly alarming was that the city had distributed certified lead-reducing filters to affected residents — yet testing revealed many filters were not adequately reducing lead. Subsequent investigation determined that Newark’s water chemistry (particularly pH, alkalinity, and orthophosphate levels) was incompatible with the NSF Standard 53-certified filters the city distributed, a fundamental mismatch between filter design parameters and actual field conditions.<\/p>\n

The lead source in Newark, as in most urban lead crises, was the city’s extensive lead service line infrastructure. Newark had an estimated 18,000-23,000 lead service lines connecting homes to the water main — a legacy of construction practices prevalent before 1986 when lead pipes were banned for new installations. Corrosive water chemistry accelerated lead leaching from these lines. The city ultimately received $120 million in settlement funds to accelerate lead service line replacement, which remains the only permanent solution to infrastructure-based lead contamination.<\/p>\n

The technical lesson is important: NSF Standard 53 filter certifications are based on standardized test water conditions. Real-world water chemistry — pH, hardness, alkalinity, chlorine concentration, organic content — affects filter performance significantly. Consumers in lead-affected areas should verify their specific filter’s tested performance characteristics against local water chemistry, or choose reverse osmosis systems, which achieve consistent lead reduction across a much wider range of water chemistry conditions. AMPAC USA NSF-certified RO systems reduce lead to below detection limits regardless of source water chemistry variations.<\/p>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
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Q: What caused the Newark lead water crisis?<\/h3>\n
\n

A: Newark's crisis resulted from lead leaching from aging lead service lines (pipes connecting homes to water mains), exacerbated by corrosive water chemistry. Distributed filters were initially ineffective due to incompatibility between filter design and Newark's specific water chemistry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: Why did the lead filters distributed by Newark fail?<\/h3>\n
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A: NSF-certified filters are tested under standardized water conditions. Newark's water chemistry (pH, alkalinity, orthophosphate levels) differed from test conditions, causing the filters to perform below their certified removal efficiency in actual use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: How is lead service line replacement the permanent solution?<\/h3>\n
\n

A: Lead service lines are the primary source of lead contamination in cities like Newark. Removing these pipes eliminates the contamination source entirely, unlike filter distribution which manages but does not eliminate the problem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: What is the EPA action level for lead in water?<\/h3>\n
\n

A: The EPA action level is 15 parts per billion (ppb). When more than 10% of samples from high-risk homes exceed this level, utilities must take corrective action including public notification, treatment optimization, and service line replacement planning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: Does reverse osmosis reliably remove lead from water?<\/h3>\n
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A: Yes. RO membranes reject lead at 95-99% efficiency across a wide range of water chemistry conditions. Unlike some filter cartridges, RO performance is less sensitive to pH, alkalinity, and organic matter variations that affected Newark's distributed filters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: How do I know if my home has a lead service line?<\/h3>\n
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A: Check with your local water utility — many have mapped service line materials. You can also scratch the pipe entering your home below the meter: lead pipes are soft, dull grey, and will show a shiny metallic scratch. Your utility may offer free service line inspection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Q: What should Newark residents do to protect themselves from lead?<\/h3>\n
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A: Use only cold water for drinking and cooking, install an NSF Standard 58-certified RO system or an NSF Standard 53-certified filter verified for your water chemistry, run the tap for 30 seconds before use, and encourage accelerated lead service line replacement in your neighborhood.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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