Trenton Suburbs Sue City Over Control Of Water Works
Responsible for serving drinking water to more than 200,000 people, the Trenton Water Works in New Jersey is one of the city’s most critical and valuable assets.
But the utility hasn’t been without its problems, and now three of the state’s suburbs are joining an existing lawsuit that the state’s environmental protection agency is pursuing against Trenton over alleged failure to maintain water quality.
“Hamilton Township, on behalf of itself and the townships of Ewing and Lawrence, filed to join an existing lawsuit by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection against Trenton,” NJ.com reported. “The suit alleges that city leaders have failed to fund upgrades to the water system, which threatens water quality.”
The suburbs are tacking on an extra request to the lawsuit: They are seeking remedies including a potential sale of all water infrastructure and ownership interest over Trenton Water Works to a private entity.
The city’s water works has been plagued by issues for years. In early 2018, local media noted skepticism about its potential to make needed infrastructure upgrades. In May 2020, the city council chose not to approve a utility fund request, despite the chronic infrastructure problems.
It may appear that the Trenton Water Works is in desperate need of a management change, but the city’s mayor has been outspoken against the lawsuit and emphasized that the water works is not for sale.
“Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, in a July 10 statement, refuted the claims in the motion, saying his administration has done much in the last two years to right the wayward water utility,” according to Community News. “Among the accomplishments touted by Gusciora were reducing the utility’s vacancy rate to 5%, launching a program to replace lead service lines in the system, making repairs and improvements at TWW’s water filtration plant and embarking on a $405-million, six-year capital improvement plan.”
Still, the lawsuit from DEP and the suburbs is moving forward, arguing that despite any positive improvements being made at the water works, it would benefit from a major change.
“DEP recognizes that Mayor Gusciora has made progress in improving TWW and protecting public health, and recently proposed plans that would enable the system to meet its Safe Drinking Water Act obligations,” the DEP commissioner said in a statement when the lawsuit was announced, per NJ.com. “Unfortunately, in light of the Trenton City Council’s recent refusal to adequately fund drinking water system improvements, it has become all the more clear that TWW will not meet its obligations under the Safe Drinking Water Act and DEP’s orders.”
To read more about how drinking water utilities around the country adhere to quality guidelines, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Regulations And Legislation Solutions Center.