Trenton Water Works employee falsifies reports for over a year, utility says
Trenton Water Works (TWW) announced on November 27, 2024, that the utility violated drinking water monitoring requirements over the period of October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023.
In a letter to customers, TWW stated that in the fall of 2023, the utility became aware of an employee that was falsifying drinking water data.
TWW stated that the violations did not pose an immediate threat to public health, however the utility said its customers have a right to know what happened and what it is doing to correct these issues.
According to TWW, upon being made aware of the situation, it immediately placed the employee on administrative leave and have since terminated the employee. The utility informed the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) about the situation.
NJDEP conducted an investigation and determined that a majority of the samples collected by the employee from October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, were deemed invalid. TWW failed to adequately monitor or test for regulated analytes, including disinfection byproducts, E. Coli, total coliform, iron, manganese, alkalinity, pH, and orthophosphate.
TWW stated that it has strengthened supervision of its water sample collectors and implemented additional procedures to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), including installing GPS tracking devices on fleet vehicles for real-time supervision, pairing them up with supervisors, taking photos of sample sites, utilizing tablets with special software and conducting additional training.
A Trenton Journal article stated that it is not the first time TWW has faced backlash for its operations and further erodes “public confidence in the system that supplies drinking water to Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence and Hopewell Townships.”
An ABC News article stated that Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora called the falsification of reports “inexcusable.” Gusciora told The Associated Press that the matter was passed to state and environmental officials, who then passed it to the state attorney general’s office.
TWW stated that there is nothing its customers need to do at this time, and if they have specific health concerns to consult a doctor.
