EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS / NY TIMES – For more than a year, Newark officials denied the city had a widespread lead problem with its drinking water.
Then, in an abrupt shift last fall, New Jersey’s largest city began giving out water filters to some residents.
On Sunday — two days after a scathing letter from the E.P.A. raised concerns about the safety of the city’s drinking water — officials said they would start offering bottled water to residents.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey and Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, said in a joint statement that they would provide bottled water at four local centers, starting as early as Monday afternoon …
