Residents of New Jersey’s largest city still have lead-contaminated drinking water. While problems with residential water filters were recently addressed, pregnant women and children under six years of age are still being advised to avoid drinking city water and to drink bottled water. The City of Newark, has not been able to keep up with the water needs of the community.
The students of Seton Hall University’s WSOU 89.5 FM recently held a water drive and the collected cases of water were given to Newark residents through the Women and Children’s Center at St. John’s Soup Kitchen.
“Everyone deserves access to clean water,” said WSOU Sports Director Dalton Allison, who spearheaded the effort. “There is a perception the water crisis is over, but thousands of our neighbors fall into the category of Newark residents who shouldn’t drink even filtered tap water. Doing nothing or pretending the problem has been completely fixed simply weren’t options for us. As students and broadcasters, we felt a responsibility to act.”
“WSOU has long been known for the music we play and our coverage of Seton Hall sports, but more recently we’ve also become known for our community service efforts,” said General Manager Mark Maben. “Our students understand the responsibilities that come with an FCC license, including giving back to the communities we serve. The commitment our students have to replicating at the college level the public service and community-based activities of professional broadcasters is truly impressive.”
Kudos to WSOU, its staff, and its management! Newark’s infrastructure is old and there is probably a lot of lead pipe still in use for transporting water to the city’s residents. Lead is a particularly insidious poison, as the body stores it. Filters won’t remove lead, as the metal is in solution in the contaminated water. It will cost millions of dollars to replace lead water pipes in Newark, a poor city with a weak tax base.
While some radio stations talk about “positive music”, WSOU is doing positive action by serving the community in this way.