District 15^th Legislators Release Joint Statement on Trenton Water Works

(TRENTON) - Senator Shirley K Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblyman Anthony S. Verrelli from the 15^th Legislative District released the following statement in response to concerns over a recent report from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) regarding the continuance of Trenton Water Works (TWW).

“The recent NJDEP report outlines how TWW has fallen short in its duty to provide clean, safe drinking water for its customers by consistently failing to meet Technical, Managerial and Financial (TMF) criteria. Trenton Water Works serves over 200,000 people – across Trenton and parts of Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence and Hopewell Townships. It is clear that this is not just a Trenton issue – it is a regional crisis that demands a regional solution.

“For years, TWW has struggled with non-compliance, violations, and administrative orders from NJDEP, resulting in its failure to meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. To address health and safety concerns, NJDEP took oversight of TWW in 2022. Still, the recent third-party assessment confirmed that TWW remains in critical condition, labeling it as being an “extremely high risk” for systemic failure.

“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.

“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. Together, we will restore public trust in TWW and secure a sustainable future for our water system.”