Newark has been distributing tens of thousands water filters to residents for the past couple of weeks as the city tries to compensate for high levels of lead in the drinking water of some residents.

State data now indicates that samples taken from water taps over the past year and a half had elevated levels of lead. However, a report published in the New York Times accuses city officials of repeatedly downplaying the problem. Newark officials have insisted that water coming from the city's reservoir is safe. “There’s nothing wrong with Newark’s water coming out of the source,” Mayor Ras Baraka told WNYC’s Jami Floyd. “When it enters people’s lead service lines it becomes an issue.”

The city says a chemical used to stop lead from leaking into water from lead pipes in residents’ homes was losing its effectiveness. It hopes to resolve the issue in the next six to eight months. In the meantime, city employees are going door-to-door providing filters. Residents with high levels of lead can also pick up filters at local recreation centers and the Health Department.