Trenton Water Utility Faces Criticism From State

New Jersey environmental regulators are putting pressure on officials in the state capital to fix the city’s struggling water utility.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin sent letters to Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson's administration in recent months stating that the city water utility should contract with a private firm to help operate on an emergency basis. The state also called for infrastructure improvements.

NJ.com summarized the criticisms in the letter: “Trenton's water utility is severely understaffed and lacks leadership and technical expertise to complete its mission to provide reliable and safe water to city residents, business and the towns it serves in Mercer County.”

The letters were originally released through an open records request by city resident Kevin Moriarty, who first reported the news on his blog. Moriarty highlighted the claim in the letter that Trenton Water Works is severely understaffed.

According to Moriarty, the letters indicate “that although problems with Trenton Water Works have been the subject of discussion over the last ten years, over the last year and some months, the city has failed to take required actions it had agreed to, chiefly deficiencies in staffing. The most shocking finding … is that although Trenton Water Works carries a $12 Million Surplus, it has only one-third of the staff needed to operate its system.”

The letter, quoting a consultant report from the city, stated that Trenton Water Works' understaffing problem raises "significant concerns regarding its ability to reliably supply drinking water to its customers on a continuous basis without adverse incidents.”

Citing the letters, Jeff Edelstein, a columnist in The Trentonian, called the decision to under staff the water utility “egregious.”

“One can’t help but wonder what else lies underneath the hood,” he wrote.