December 18, 2024
Dear Hopewell Township Resident:
I am writing to provide you with an update on Trenton Water Works (TWW) ongoing efforts to improve the distribution system in Hopewell Township, particularly regarding disinfection byproducts (DBPs). I also want to address recent findings regarding water quality.
TWW monitors DBPs at one location in Hopewell Township, and I want to report that, last month, the Stop & Shop site at 800 Denow Road in Pennington was the only one that exceeded the Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) limit of 80 with an average of 80.7. Notably, the other eight test sites in TWW's service area are within Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulations for DBPs.
Under the SDWA, public water systems that disinfect their water must regularly test quarterly for DBPs. TWW conducts monthly testing and will notify all affected customers before January 6, 2025, regarding the Stop & Shop site DBP exceedance. This notice will also be available at trentonwaterworks.org.
DBPs form when chlorine interacts with organic materials in raw water sources such as rivers, lakes, and streams. TWW's raw water comes from the Delaware River, the longest free-flowing, undammed river in the Eastern United States, and the water filtration plant on Route 29 South in Trenton treats approximately 30 million gallons of water daily. The treated water is then pumped to the Pennington Avenue Reservoir before rechlorination and distribution to residents in Hopewell Township and surrounding areas. The water filtration plant tests our drinking water hourly.
While the Stop & Shop site had a DBP exceedance, I want to reassure you that TWW is taking immediate action to address this and maintain high water quality. In addition to continuing our monthly testing and reporting to state regulators, we are implementing the following steps:
- Installing flushing equipment to discharge stagnant water from dead-end water mains in Hopewell Township.
- Continue monthly monitoring for DBPs and testing for temperature, free and total chlorine, total organic carbon (TOC), and pH levels.
It is important to note that overall water quality in Hopewell Township—and throughout the TWW system—remains high and fully complies with the SDWA. We are committed to ensuring your continued well-being and maintaining the highest water quality.
If you have questions about this letter or any of TWW's ongoing projects, don't hesitate to get in touch with TWW's Office of Communications and Public Outreach at (609) 989-3033.
Further efforts to improve TWW's 683-mile distribution system include the installation of two-way communicating water meters for remote reading in Hopewell Township, the construction of a multi-million-gallon tank to safeguard the water supply and improve pressure, and a new central pumping station in Trenton to strengthen distribution.
We are at your service.
Sincerely,
W. Reed Gusciora
Mayor, Trenton