Newark, New Jersey, Becomes A Case Study For Replacing Lead Pipes In The U.S.

President Biden's "American Jobs Plan" calls for spending $45 billion to replace every lead pipe in the United States. The process can be long and expensive, and it will fall apart without political and public support, says Yvette Jordan.

In 2018, Jordan's home of Newark, New Jersey, was in the national spotlight for having elevated lead levels, forcing residents to use bottled water. After Jordan's advocacy group, the Newark Education Workers Caucus, and the Natural Resources Defense Council sued the city, Newark began replacing more than 18,000 lines of lead pipe.

Today, it's seen as a model for other localities in the country.

Jordan speaks with Here & Now's Tonya Mosley about the battle to replace unsafe pipes.