Statement from Sean Semple, Director, City of Trenton Department of Water and Sewer, Regarding Trenton Water Works and the Pennington Avenue Reservoir
Recent reporting has raised questions about the status of Trenton Water Works (TWW) and the Pennington Avenue Reservoir. We want residents and service-area communities to have clear and accurate information.
First, Trenton’s water filtration plant on Route 29 South is operating normally and fully meeting system demand. System pressure remains stable, is continuously monitored, and is within established operating standards. There is no interruption of service and no loss of treatment capacity.
The Pennington Avenue Reservoir, which has been in service since 1899, remains operational. While recent extreme cold has resulted in water main breaks within our system, as well as in municipalities throughout New Jersey and the Northeast, our crews and contract vendors are actively repairing them around the clock. Water utilities across the state are managing similar weather-related impacts on water infrastructure.
Within the TWW service area, main breaks have occurred in Trenton, Ewing, and Hamilton. Similar incidents have been reported in East Brunswick, Montville, Bloomfield, Newark, Paterson, Cranford, Englishtown, Warren Township, and Nutley. This winter has been challenging for water systems across the region.
Second, Trenton Water Works maintains regular communication with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). On February 9, NJDEP requested additional reporting regarding reservoir levels and operational protocols. TWW provided a formal written response and participated in a virtual meeting with Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak, service-area mayors, and lawmakers to review system status and corrective measures. The discussion was productive, and NJDEP expressed satisfaction with the operational steps being taken.
We are submitting twice-daily operational updates to NJDEP and continuing proactive measures to stabilize and strengthen reservoir levels.
To ensure consistent communication, TWW will provide status updates every 48 hours at 3:00 p.m. to service-area mayors, health officers, municipal officials, OEM coordinators, and members of the media.
Trenton Water Works remains focused on maintaining reliability, ensuring a safe and adequate water supply, and responding promptly to weather-related infrastructure challenges. We encourage residents to rely on official updates for accurate information.
# # #