Mayor Seeking EPA Involvement in
Trenton Water Works Chlorine Issue

With a lack of urgency from the State of New Jersey, which regulates water quality, regarding “historic” low chlorine levels detected in the Trenton Water Works’ Mercerville tower, Mayor Kelly Yaede is seeking the involvement of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Due to the lack of response by State officials, Mayor Yaede has reached out to EPA officials and requesting their intervention, given the fact that State officials could not avail themselves for a conference call to discuss action items and provide details on the State’s response to chlorine information during recent years.

“Why would State officials not be addressing this issue with a sense of urgency? Proper chlorine levels in our drinking water is a health and safety issue.  If the State of New Jersey is stalling its response, it begs the question – what are they hiding?,” says Mayor Kelly Yaede.

While State officials have been unable to schedule a conference call, the Acting Commissioner of the State Department of Health sent a written response that stated: “NJDOH (New Jersey Department of Health) does not have the expertise to monitor water systems or to comment on how/when/why water systems should be evaluated or treated.”

Yet a 2010 media article reported the following: “A report issued by the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) earlier this month now appears to pinpoint a potential cause: low chlorine levels in a Trenton Water Works tank located near Route 33 and Whitehorse Mercerville Road in Hamilton.”

“These two statements appear to directly contradict each other; and that is very troubling to me,” Mayor Yaede responded to the Acting Director, after Yaede called for State officials to immediately begin to conduct official tests across the Trenton Water Works Service area, particularly in the area serviced by the Mercerville tower.

“The recent revelation by a State official of this ‘known’ and ‘ongoing’ low chlorine history is what caused our concern. Clearly if State officials had a report over a decade ago, one would expect that low chlorine levels would not be tolerated over the past decade,” says Mayor Kelly Yaede.

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