New Jersey American Water to Resume Treating Water with Chloramines in Six Counties

Water Treatment Changes for Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset & Union Counties

On April 15, New Jersey American Water will resume the use of chloramines (a mixture of chlorine and ammonia) to treat water at its Canal Road and Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plants. Chloramines have been used in the system for more than 25 years and are an effective method of water disinfection meeting all USEPA and NJDEP drinking water standards.

In mid-January, as part of its system maintenance program, New Jersey American Water temporarily changed its treatment process from chloramines to chlorine. The three-month changeover to chlorine enabled the company to perform maintenance on its chemical feed systems and remove any residual ammonia from the water distribution system.

During the transition to chlorine some customers may have noticed a slight chlorine taste and odor in their water. With the resumption of the chloramination process, the taste and smell of chlorine will abate.

The following municipalities receive service from the Raritan-Millstone and Canal Road Water Treatment Plants:

Bedminster, Belle Meade, Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Chester, Clark, Cranbury, Cranford, Dunellen, Elizabeth, Edison, Fanwood, Flemington, Franklin, Garwood, Green Brook, Hillside, Hillsborough, Hopewell Township, Jamesburg, Kenilworth, Kingston, Lawrence, Linden, Manville, Martinsville, Middlesex, Millstone, Monroe Township, Montgomery, Mountainside, North Plainfield, Peapak/Gladstone, Piscataway, Plainfield, Plainsboro, Pottersville, Princeton, Raritanboro, Raritan Township, Roselle, Roselle Park, Readington, Scotch Plains, Skillman, Somerset, Somerville, South Bound Brook, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Tewksbury, Union, Vauxhall, Warren, Watchung, Westfield, West Windsor, and Whitehouse Station.

New Jersey American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.6 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in more than 45 states, as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

New Jersey American WaterRichard G. Barnes, [e-mail]