U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone visited Perth Amboy on Monday to highlight the need for improvements on the state's water infrastructure.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Dist. 6) met with Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz along with members of the Perth Amboy City Council on Monday, April 18, 2016, in Perth Amboy to highlight the need for improvements to New Jersey's water infrastructure.PERTH AMBOY -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said the state's water infrastructure is in dire condition.
Though he said the issue wasn't a particularly "sexy" one, he nevertheless said it is one in which needs to be addressed -- immediately.
Pallone (D--6th Dist.) visited Perth Amboy on Monday and met with the city's mayor, Wilda Diaz, and members of the Perth Amboy City Council to highlight the need for repairs to various aging water systems around the state.
"They are very dire," he said in an interview with NJ Advance Media.
The problem, he said, funding for water infrastructure in the state has remained stagnant for too many years.
In February, Pallone introduced the AQUA Act, which "which significantly increases water infrastructure funding authorization so local communities can repair and replace their aging water systems," a statement from the congressman's office read.
The AQUA Act reauthorizes the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) -- which is the "primary source of federal funding for drinking water infrastructure projects" -- for five years at higher levels "to meet the growing needs gap," the statement said.
Perth Amboy received a $1.7-million grant from the SRF, Pallone said.
He added that Congress has "neglected to reauthorize the program" which is putting it in danger of being eliminated each year."
The lack of funding, he said, led to the crisis in Flint, and other communities.
"You would hope there would be support for this," Pallone said. "They (Congress) haven't even passed the bill over Flint. I do think there is more and more awareness, so hopefully it something that can spur a bipartisan approach."
New Jersey's systems, he said, are among those communities in serious need of improvements. There are 11 cities in the state with high lead levels, according to a previous report which cited 2014 statistics from the New Jersey Department of Health.
New Brunswick was listed as having high lead levels as were Irvington, East Orange, Trenton, Newark, Paterson, Plainfield, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Atlantic City, and Passaic, along with Salem and Cumberland counties.
Pallone said lead pipes were band 30 years ago, "and yet we have so many pipes left over in the urban areas," he said.
For more information on the AQUA Act, visit www.pallone.house.gov.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.