Helping New Jersey Communities Apply for Federal Lead Line Replacement Funds

About this Project

Arcadis, the world’s leading company delivering data-driven sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets, specializes in water and wastewater design and is nationally known for its expertise in lead removal from drinking water.

A $ 3 million guarantee to Arcadis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is enabling underresourced New Jersey communities to receive technical, planning, and design assistance that will enable them to apply for federal lead line replacement funding in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 

In addition to ensuring safe, clean drinking water, RWJF also aims to level the playing field for communities that have long faced systemic barriers to infrastructure investment and provide a replicable model for others working to expand access to safe, affordable water.

Learn more: www.arcadis.com/en-us

Challenge

Clean, safe, affordable water is key to healthy and economically strong communities and enjoys broad bipartisan support. Yet our nation’s water systems are aging, and many families still rely on lead pipes for drinking water despite research clearly showing that no exposure to lead is safe.

There are more than 350,000 lead service lines providing drinking water in New Jersey; the state has committed to replacing all of them by 2031. Despite the availability of federal funding to upgrade their water systems, many communities—especially smaller municipalities and communities with fewer resources—lack the staffing, management capacity, technical expertise, or budget to prepare and apply for available water infrastructure funding.  Only successful applications include reimbursement for engineering, budgeting, and planning costs. 

Solution

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocated historic amounts of funding for local water projects, with about 80 percent distributed through State Revolving Funds (SRF). And the Federal 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require public water systems to replace lead pipes within 10 years.

RWJF’s guarantee will make it possible for two New Jersey communities to get the support they need to apply for the funding by enabling Arcadis to take on the project without financial risk. This could include lead service line inventories, engineering designs, phasing plans, and assistance with applications to the New Jersey Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).  

If the applications are successful, SRF funds reimburse predevelopment costs up to $1.5 million per community, including interest; the RWJF guarantee ensures Arcadis will get paid even if the applications are unsuccessful, allowing it to provide services without risk.

In the Spotlight

Arcadis has a history of working with New Jersey communities, partnering with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to help Raritan River and Bay communities and parts of Northeast New Jersey plan for climate resilience. A big focus has been listening to residents—especially those most at risk—through community meetings, translated materials, and partnerships with local groups, schools, and clubs. That input, combined with climate impact analysis, shaped practical recommendations ranging from drainage fixes and green infrastructure to policy updates, outreach, and education—taking a big-picture approach to helping communities adapt and recover.

Impact Goals

• Accelerate lead service line replacement in disadvantaged communities by providing targeted predevelopment, planning, and engineering support.
• Increase access to federal infrastructure funding for underresourced municipalities by helping them become shovel‑ready for DWSRF and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments.
• Build sustainable local capacity through inventories, engineering designs, and phasing plans that position communities for long‑term infrastructure improvements.
• Support New Jersey’s statewide goal of replacing every lead service line by 2031, contributing to measurable reductions in lead exposure risk.

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