Local news- Press Release
Trenton New Jersey - Director s 2023 Year in Review 30 December 2023 ( news )
Trenton , state New Jersey ( By Press Release office)
Dec 30,2023
| 5| 2
Dear Valued Customer:
In 2023 Trenton Water Works ( TWW ) took decisive steps to maintain high water quality , improve operations , and advance capital projects to benefit our service - area consumers .
Through the assistance of our partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and a Unilateral Administrative Order executed by Mayor W . Reed Gusciora last October , TWW is advancing this momentum and achieving results .
This letter summarizes TWW’s past year and plans to continue our comprehensive improvements to the TWW system , one of the oldest public water systems in the United States .
Water Quality
Our paramount goal is to produce drinking water that meets or exceeds federal and state
Safe Drinking Water Actregulatory standards .
TWW ' s water - treatment process of water drawn from the
Delaware Riveris coagulation , flocculation , sedimentation , and disinfection , followed by filtration .
TWW ' s laboratory tests the water hourly for turbidity , chlorine , and pH levels to continuously assess water quality . We test for
PFAS ( forever chemicals ) annually and lead and copper in at least 100 approved locations systemwide , and we select customers who meet specific criteria to participate in our
Lead and Copper Sampling Program
.
TWW maintains high water quality by adjusting treatment at our
water - filtration plant
, flushing our
683 - mile distribution system
, cleaning and disinfecting storage tanks , undertaking rigorous sampling and testing , and advancing capital projects , including cleaning and lining water mains .
A critical water quality goal is to achieve adequate chlorine levels in our distribution system for disinfection to mitigate the growth of pathogens like
Legionella
.
Legionella
is a bacterium commonly found in natural and artificial aquatic environments . It exists in low concentrations in public water systems . Legionella only poses a health risk when growth occurs in warm , stagnant water and when a person inhales aerosolized water ( tiny water droplets ) . To learn more about
Legionella
, visit
dep . nj . gov/trentonwater/legionella
.
On April 1 , 2023 , in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U . S . Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , TWW undertook a months - long
Low - Velocity Water Main Flushing Programto maintain adequate chlorine levels in targeted areas of the distribution system for optimum disinfection to mitigate
Legionella
.
The program aims to
sustain a chlorine residual of 1 . 00 mg/Lin the distribution system , especially during warmer months . Last summer TWW personnel opened fire hydrants , allowing them to flow for extended periods to achieve a targeted chlorine residual . They then took samples for testing , and shared data with regulators . TWW will use this data , including
Geographic Information Systems
, to develop a multifaceted distribution - system flushing plan for annual implementation , starting in 2024 .
TWW will convey the details of the flushing plan to you before commencement via direct mail to your mailboxes , our Facebook page , using our Reverse 911 system ,
TWW - Connects
, and the media . I recommend that you follow TWW ' s Facebook page for the latest on our activities . We are transparent about our water quality , operations , and capital work . If you have questions about water - utility activities , please phone our
Office of Communications and Community Relationsat
( 609 ) 989 - 3033
.
To discharge aged water from our distribution system , including sediment , and to maintain optimum chlorine levels for disinfection , TWW will install approximately
170 flushing assemblieson dead - end water mains systemwide starting this month .
Continuing the removal of lead infrastructure from our system , we are redesigning our
Lead Service Line Replacement Program
, which has spent approximately $50 million to replace 9 , 601 lead service lines—28 percent of the water utility ' s lead inventory—from our distribution system and at private homes since February 2021 . We aim to remove all lead infrastructure from our system by 2031 .
We continue to execute operational and capital work to reduce
Total Trihalomethanesor
disinfection by - products ( DBPs ) . Our laboratory tests for DBPs regularly and shares data with state regulators . Between July 1 , 2021 and September 2021 , one of the nine DBP locations we sampled exceeded the standard of 80 micrograms per liter ( ug/L ) . The result was 82 ug/L . We notified you about this last month and in December 2022 . Regulators require that we inform you annually about this violation until our DBP remediation is complete .
Our DBP remediation includes executing a Low - Velocity Water Main Flushing Program , as mentioned earlier , cleaning and disinfecting elevated storage tanks , repairing in - line mixers , installing additional sampling stations , and flushing assemblies at dead - end water mains systemwide to strengthen the management of the distribution system .
Capital Projects
In 2019 we launched a
$405 - million , six - year capital plan
. This initial investment was necessary to safeguard our water supply by decentralizing storage , removing lead service lines from our system , upgrading the water - filtration plant and distribution system , and complying with ever - changing federal and state regulatory mandates , the most stringent in the world .
To safeguard TWW ' s finished water supply , we are advancing Phases 1 and 2 of a project to decentralize TWW ' s water storage , taking the open finished
Pennington Avenue Reservoirout of service in five years . Phases 1 and 2 , a $90 - million undertaking , will see the construction of multi - million - gallon storage tanks in
Trenton
,
Hamilton Township
, and
Ewing Township
. We are dedicated to engaging customers and service - area consumers regarding this critical work through sustained communications and community outreach .
In December we announced Phase 1 of our
Smart Meter Projectto replace approximately 21 , 000 water meters in
Trenton
,
Ewing Township
, and
Hopewell Townshipwith a model that our personnel can read remotely , eliminating nearly all estimated bills . The New Jersey Water Bank , a state revolving fund program jointly administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank , is funding the $20 - million project . Mandatory installations begin this quarter , and you will receive a letter from
National Metering Services
, the contract vendor , or
TWW ' s Meter Shop
, inviting you to make an appointment to replace your meter at no charge . Please watch your mail for these communications to avoid installation delays .
In the months ahead , TWW will replace nearly two miles of 16 - inch water main along
Olden Avenuein
Ewing Township
, a $4 - million project . The water mains in the high - traffic area are prone to repeated breaks .
Utilizing a grant from the EPA , TWW will remove up to 750 lead services in specific
Trentonneighborhoods , starting this year under the Lead Service Line Replacement Program . For more information , call our
hotlineat
( 609 ) 989 - 3600
, Monday to Friday , 8:30 a . m . to 4:30 p . m . TWW is closed on federal and municipal holidays .
With the assistance of our regulatory partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection , we will continue to revise our standard operating procedures , strengthen the training of our personnel , advance capital projects , capture state and federal funding , and improve our customer - service delivery , among other customer - centric goals .
We are strengthening our outreach , communicating directly with you , and organizing our
H2Open Forumsin your communities , where you can engage our leadership team with your questions . This is also an opportunity to learn more about how we produce your drinking water and implement the critical work and substantial investments needed to ensure high water quality for years to come .
TWW has produced drinking water since 1859 .
A self - liquidating municipal government asset , the water utility is grounded in a proven , well - engineered history of which we are immensely proud . TWW utilizes revenue from you , our valued customer , to fund operations , capital work , and debt service . Capital work , measured in millions of dollars , is financed with municipal bonds , government loans , and federal and state grants .
TWW ' s organizational structure comprises administration , the water - filtration plant , engineering , water distribution , construction and maintenance , the meter shop , and customer care and billing . TWW has approximately 165 employees .
TWW continues to make significant progress toward modernizing our sprawling , well - engineered infrastructure , financing capital work , and strengthening our operations and workforce . We endeavor to deliberately and substantially continue these efforts for your benefit .
We are at your service .
Respectfully ,
Sean Semple
Director
Department of Water and Sewer
City of Trenton
Click here to see the Director ' s 2023 Year in Review in Adobe PDF
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information :
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
