Hopewell Township Demands Change after the Latest Failures by Trenton Water Works
The most recent news from Trenton Water Works (TWW) further highlights long-standing issues of public health and safety and requires a fundamental change at the utility.
The latest failing, where an employee was falsifying drinking water data for 14 months before being caught and terminated, is a serious breach of public trust and raises serious concerns about TWW’s ability to ensure the safety of the system’s drinking water. Further, new violations in Hopewell Township, where drinking water has again exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level for disinfection byproducts (DBPs), highlights the urgent need for systemic change in how TWW is managed.
“Since 2022, I have been advocating for a direct operational takeover of TWW by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) due to the City of Trenton’s inadequate oversight of the water system,” said Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning. “The addition of DEP oversight two years ago, while short of a direct takeover, was a welcome change. However, the falsification of data, in conjunction with DBP exceedances in Hopewell Township yet again, shows that more must be done. Nothing short of a wholesale change of operational control will prevent future lapses.”
The Township does appreciate the steps that Trenton leadership is taking to address at least the byproducts issue, with plans to install a new automatic flusher in the Hopewell section of the distribution system in the next 30 days. However, the repeated problems make it clear that the current structure is not working effectively and something must change.
The entire Hopewell Township Committee pledges to work closely with other Mercer County partners, including Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin, who has advocated for the NJDEP to take away control and operations of TWW from the City of Trenton. Another NJDEP report is expected in early 2025, and there is hope that it will provide an opportunity for real change. There have been too many failures over too many years to continue to put the health and safety of TWW drinking water customers at risk.