Local officials are calling for the creation of an independent public regional water utility after two independent reports released through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)’s state “Trenton Water Works (TWW) suffers from historic neglect and underinvestment … [and is at] an extremely high risk of system failure.”
The state agency released the reports on Jan. 27.
NJDEP adds that even with its stabilization support, Trenton alone cannot repair the utility. There is not a recommendation to privatize or sell TWW, however the agency does state that TWW can be successful if the water utility is restructured as a public utility independent from Trenton’s municipal government.
“With legislative support, TWW could be restructured as an independent public regional utility that preserves the interests of the City of Trenton, invests in its future, best serves the needs of all the service area communities, and most importantly—consistently delivers reliably safe, clean drinking water at affordable rates,” NJDEP stated.
Additionally, adding if TWW governance, management and operations are fully modernized and professionalized at every level the water utility can maintain compliance for safe drinking water.
In a joint statement on Jan 27, Hopewell Township Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Lawrence Township Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Hamilton Township Mayor Jeff Martin and Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann called for a new public utility to run the water system.
“We, the Mayors of TWW-serviced towns, agree that the status quo is not sustainable, and we believe that creating a new public utility, with governance that allows for greater operational independence and collaboration across municipalities, is a necessary step forward,” they said.
“It is important to note that the majority of TWW’s customers—55%-reside outside of Trenton, yet the other four municipalities have no formal role in TWW’s governance or authority over its operations. This disconnect between the service area’s needs and TWW management underscores the necessity of a new governance model.”
The mayors in their joint statement explained that they agreed to work together to improve and make needed investments as part of a change to a new public utility entity. In their push, the mayors laid out their key priorities in an effort to achieve this goal.
The key priorities: A complete and transparent appraisal of the new public entity-creation process; an accounting of the costs that will be needed to fairly compensate the City of Trenton for its asset; an assessment of the project’s impact on rates and fees.
In addition, there will be a public campaign to announce how the new structure will impact ratepayers such as the necessary capital work, including upgrades to the water filtration plant, improvements to the distribution system, and the creation of new positions with competitive salaries to attract and retain skilled professionals.
The TWW system provides water to more than 200,000 residents in Trenton, parts of Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Ewing and Hamilton. As a water utility, it treats and provides drinking water from water taken out of the Delaware River.
TWW has a 683-mile water distribution system and is owned by the city of Trenton. In 2022, the NJDEP had to step in and oversee the operations of TWW after the utility had failed to address issues and conditions with providing safe drinking water for customers.
Due to NJDEP’s direct oversight, the agency conducted three independent system wide assessments to analyze areas such as the fiscal condition of TWW, evaluating the treatment plant’s performance-based capabilities, and maintenance practices.
There is a technical, managerial, financial report, 360 comprehensive report and a comprehensive performance evaluation report, which has not been finalized as of yet.
New Jersey state legislators of the 14th District joined the mayors in calling for TWW’s restructuring and creating an independent regional public utility for the system.
“We, the legislators of the 14th District, advocate for its restructuring as an independent regional public utility,” said State Sen. Linda Greenstein, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, and Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy in a joint statement. “This change would facilitate the modernization of its facilities and improve the professionalism of its staff and operational practices. We are prepared to develop legislation to establish this new regional utility.”
State Sen. Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli added in their joint statement for the 15th District, “TWW’s struggle with the long-term sustainability of the system, including water treatment quality, operational efficiencies and equipment maintenance cannot go on. We all need to come together as a region – legislators, mayors and communities – to deal with this systemic issue and figure out a path forward.”
“We need to find a way to modernize and repair the facilities while ensuring professional governance, management, and operations at all levels,” they said. “We are encouraged by the clear commitment to collaboration among local mayors and state officials and will work tirelessly to ensure this effort moves forward without delay.”
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson emphasized that the county is prepared to back a variety of possible solutions that will maintain public control of the utility.
“Mercer County is prepared to play any role asked of us by our mayors, legislative delegation, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to accomplish this mission,” he said. “As a former legislator, we know this will take everyone’s cooperation to achieve this goal.”
Mercer County Board of County Commissioner Chair Kristin McLaughlin in a statement on behalf of the county commissioners said, “While the Board has no oversight over Trenton Water Works, we remain committed to supporting all affected communities. We view this as an opportunity to foster collaboration among stakeholders and work collectively toward addressing the challenges facing Trenton Water Works.”
