Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora Announces that Trenton Water Works Will Hold Public

Education Forums to Inform Residents and Stakeholders About Its Operations and Water Quality

Trenton, N.J. — Building on his commitment to keep city residents and customers informed about ongoing work to strengthen the operations and workforce at Trenton Water Works (TWW), Mayor W. Reed Gusciora announced today that the water utility will hold Public Education Forums in Hamilton, Hopewell, Lawrence and Ewing townships. A similar forum in Trenton was held on June 20, 2018 in the atrium at City Hall.

“Water quality is a vital issue,” said Mayor Gusciora. “I want to be transparent with the public about our ongoing efforts to transform Trenton Water Works, making it a separate department to improve efficiency and effectiveness. My administration is prioritizing TWW’s needs, elevating its operations and customer outreach, and strengthening its workforce. I want city residents and our neighboring townships to understand the science behind how their drinking water is produced and the capital projects slated to improve infrastructure. I also want them to see TWW’s commitment to complying with two state Administrative Consent Orders and, most importantly, what steps the utility is taking to eliminate localized lead in drinking water through its Lead Line Service Replacement Program and related public-education activities.”

The Public Education Forums are designed to encourage attendees—residents, customers, public officials—to ask in-depth questions and get comprehensive answers from TWW representatives and consultants. The forum format is straightforward: Representatives will be on-hand at the two-hour forums, staffing tables where attendees can explore such TWW-related topics as the science of water treatment, lead in drinking water and localized sources of lead, the water utility’s corrosion control strategy, and its Lead Line Service Replacement Program, which is replacing lead connectors or “goosenecks” at service-area residences.

Hamilton Township’s Public Education Forum will take place on Thursday, September 13, from 6-8 p.m. at the township’s Senior Center, 409 Cypress Lane. Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora and Hamilton Township Mayor Kelly Yaede will attend, along with TWW Director Dr. Shing-Fu Hsueh, Assistant Director Kristin Epstein, and other local officials.

Hopewell Township’s Public Education Forum will be held on Wednesday, October 10, from 7-9 p.m. at Stony Brook Elementary School, 20 Stephenson Road in Pennington. According to Deputy Mayor Julie Blake, Hopewell officials and residents are looking forward to the informative event.

Michael Walker, TWW’s Management Specialist who has been working with service-area municipalities to organize the Public Education Forums, will be announcing the dates and locations for the Ewing and Lawrence Township forums soon.

Other forum discussion topics will include cyber security; a long-standing plan to cover the 100-million- gallon Pennington Avenue Reservoir; and how GIS mapping and other data are used to guide operations, maintenance and planning. Attendees can also learn about TWW’s water-filtration plant on Route 29 South in Trenton, which was built in two stages in 1959 and produces some 29 million gallons of drinking water per day. Fundamental to the water utility’s operations, it is slated for technological, mechanical and infrastructure improvements, including bolstered staffing. Addressing this topic and more will be Dr. Shing-Fu Hsueh (pronounced SHAY), TWW’s Director, who was appointed by Mayor Gusciora on July 1 to oversee the turnaround of the more than two-century-old water utility. Dr. Hsueh is a former state water-system regulator with nearly three decades working for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“These forums are an opportunity for our residents to learn about Trenton Water Works, including its leadership, plans for operational improvements, and, of course, the quality of our drinking water,” said Dr. Hsueh.

“We are very grateful to Mayor Gusciora and the leadership at Trenton Water Works for making this important forum available to our residents, who are eager to learn more about the water utility, lead line services, and the work to replace them,” added Hopewell Township’s Julie Blake.

“As we improve our water filtration and distribution infrastructure, prepare to introduce a new method of corrosion control, and replace lead service lines in our service area to maintain high water quality, Trenton Water Works will also improve its customer service, data collection and regulatory compliance and communications,” added Dr. Hsueh. “We are calling on internal and external expertise to achieve these goals.”

Trenton Water Works is among the largest publicly owned urban water utilities in the United States. Established more than 200 years ago, today TWW’s 119 hardworking employees operate a sprawling water-filtration plant and water-distribution system, including a 100-million-gallon reservoir. It comprises a complex infrastructure that supplies an average of 27 million gallons of drinking water per day to 66,000 metered customers, encompassing more than a quarter million people.

# # #