A bill that would require financial institutions that have foreclosed on properties to remove and replace all water service lines containing lead has been drafted by a leading state senator, who has said he plans to introduce the measure in early November.

The legislation doesn't yet have a bill number or committee assignment. It will likely be introduced during the next Senate quorum, which is scheduled for Nov. 7, just after the Nov. 5 elections (where all 80 seats in the state General Assembly are up for grabs), according to the Senate Majority Office.

Its prime sponsor, Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, said on Sept. 26 that the measure is intended prevent continuous exposure to lead from privately owned lead water service lines, and part of the ongoing effort to tackle the water quality dilemma plaguing New Jersey, particularly in Newark.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, fresh off a trade mission to India, held a press conference in Newark early this week with top city officials to release results of a new lead study. They announced recently that lead levels in the city's drinking water had been significantly reduced and fallen below a federally acceptable standard thanks to thousands of water filters handed out to residents. The governor said bottled water would still be distributed to residents.

An aide to Rice said the senator wanted to generate early traction for the bill even though he had not yet formally introduced it. Newark, New Jersey's largest city, sits in the heart of Rice's legislative district.

"New Jersey has a massive amount of foreclosed homes which are now owned by banks and other financial institutions," Rice in a statement. "When those homes are bought by new owners, they should be bought free of service lines that contain lead.

"It is up to the banks to replace these since they have the resources and ownership to do so," added Rice, who chairs the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus and is vice chairman of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee. "This would take the immense financial burden off of the potential homeowner and make sure homes are sold in safe and decent condition."

The measure is intended to require replacement of any lead lines on a foreclosed property that are not the responsibility of the water utility service.