Statement by Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora:

Trenton Water Works (TWW) is a vital public utility with a 220-year legacy of service. It remains one of our city’s most valuable assets—owned by the residents of Trenton—and its future must reflect the best interests of those it serves.

I strongly support Trenton retaining ownership of TWW. While we all acknowledge that decades of underinvestment and past inaction have raised concerns about Trenton’s stewardship, we have made meaningful progress in reversing those trends. Under our administration, we have worked in good faith with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and our neighboring municipalities—Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence, and Hopewell Townships—to improve water quality, enhance operations, and invest in essential infrastructure. We’ve accelerated lead service line replacements, improved billing systems, and rebuilt technical capacity with more qualified personnel, all while enduring collection moratoriums caused by a global pandemic.

Even with these significant efforts to improve TWW’s operations, we must face the hard truths in this critical moment. Our system still faces significant challenges, including state oversight from the NJDEP and ongoing litigation from service municipalities. We are conducting a comprehensive rate study to determine a fair pricing structure that prepares TWW for nearly $1 billion in capital upgrades over the next decade. These projects are expensive but necessary, and will require coordinated investment, regional cooperation, and a serious commitment to future generations—not political posturing.

The City will work cooperatively with NJDEP to study the feasibility of a regional authority—not because we are resigning ourselves to it, but because we must explore every option that secures the long-term health of the utility and protects the interests of Trenton residents. If surrounding municipalities wish to pursue ownership in any form, they must come to the table and declare what they are willing to pay for that right. Anything less would shortchange the residents of Trenton.

Any discussion of TWW’s future will be guided by its history. The city government of Trenton acquired TWW from a privately owned company through a public referendum and legislative action in 1858 and 1859. The citizens of Trenton voted to purchase the water utility. The same democratic principle applies today. The governance of TWW rests on the residents, expressed through their elected City Council, and any decision about its future should not be made by decree or lawsuit.

Trenton Water Works is more than pipes and pumps—it is part of Trenton’s identity and it is our responsibility to decide its future. We must move forward together, with clear eyes, strong leadership, and a shared commitment to clean, reliable, and affordable water.