Newark woman says she will put pressure on mayor until all residents receive lead-free water

Lead in the water has been plaguing Newark, and to help, residents received water filters from the city.

News 12 Staff

Aug 10, 2019, 9:31 PM

Updated 1,948 days ago

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Lead in the water has been plaguing Newark, and to help, residents received water filters from the city.
On Saturday, Mayor Ras Baraka announced that those filters may not be working well.
City officials say homes were tested under "the highest worst-case scenario," meaning water had been sitting still from five to 11 hours.
Mayor Baraka promises to conduct more tests in the weeks to come.
While his critics are praising him for his actions, they say he still has a long way to go.
Newark resident Yvette Jordan is not only a staunch critic of the city's handling of the water crisis, she's also part of a lawsuit against the city, spearheaded by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Jordan says city officials are making great strides, but feels the 20,000 residents who received filters last fall don't know how to properly put them on and don't know when to replace them. She also says residents need to know more about the cost of service to have their water tested and the cost of water bottles for families who still can't drink from the tap.
State officials say they plan to help those families who need financial assistance to purchase those water bottles.
Jordan says she and other critics will continue to put pressure on the mayor until all residents receive lead-free water.
As for expected mothers and children, bottle water is the way to go.