Mayor In Mercer Co. Asks NJDEP To Take Control Of Trenton Water Works

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – Mayor Jeff Martin of Hamilton Township has called on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to take control of Trenton Water Works.

This comes after it was recently revealed that an employee falsified water quality reports for five towns, including Hamilton, between October 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023.

The employee was a water sample collector – one of the three employees responsible for the task. The employee has since been fired.

“What this latest crew-up makes abundantly clear in that NJDEP must take away control and operations of Trenton Water Works from the City of Trenton,” Martin said in an official statement.

“Too many promises have been broken and the health of too many is in the balance to trust the City can operate TWW.”

In September 2022, officials from townships TWW serves called on NJDEP to take over direct supervision and operation of the utility service, after it failed to comply with safe drinking water obligations.

A month later, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that the state will work with Trenton to enhance TWW’s technical and managerial capacity to improve operations and maintenance.

“Even with the assistance of NJDEP and other professionals – failure strikes again and again,” Martin said.

TWW serves five Mercer County towns – Lawrence, Ewing, Hamilton, Trenton, and Hopewell. It also provides service to Bordentown on a temporary basis.

The public was notified of the recent issue in a letter dated Nov. 27. According to the letter, NJDEP found after an investigation that the TWW failed to meet state and federal drinking water standards during that time.

Martin expressed no confidence in the matter being resolved by Trenton officials, saying he expects more reports of negligence to emerge once the new report is released next year.

“With another NJDEP report expected early in 2025, which I expect will expose even more systemic negligence at TWW, it will be past the time for every government, business and community leader to call for immediate change of operational control,” Martin said.

“Silence or passive statements when lives are at stake will no longer be an option.”

TWW is currently under the control of local Trenton officials, with support being provided by the state.

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