Princeton Residents Warned of Possible Taste, Smell, of Chlorine in Water

New Jersey American Water is changing its water treatment process in Bridgewater and Somerset and customers in Princeton may notice a temporary increase in the taste and smell of chlorine in the water, the company announced. 

The  company is conducting annual pipeline maintenance at the Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Bridgewater and its Canal Road Water Treatment Plant in Somerset. The process is changing from a chloramine (a combination of ammonia and chlorine) to free chlorine.

The change began Wednesday, Feb. 1 and will continue until the end of March.

The chlorine taste and smell is normal and temporary until the system maintenance is complete. New Jersey American Water officials plan to monitor water quality to ensure that it meets or exceeds federal and state drinking water standards.

Want to remove the chlorine taste? Here are some tips:

• Put water in a glass container in the refrigerator overnight uncovered. This will allow the chlorine to dissipate at a faster pace.
• Bring water to a rolling boil for five minutes and allow it to cool. This should reduce the chlorine taste and smell in the water.
• Add a lemon slice or a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of drinking water.

Besides Princeton, the following other communities may be affected: Bedminster, Belle Meade, Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Chester, Clark, Cranbury, Cranford, Dunellen, Elizabeth, Edison, Fanwood, Flemington, Franklin, Garwood, Green Brook, Hillside, Hillsborough, Jamesburg, Kenilworth, Kingston, Lawrence, Linden, Manville, Martinsville, Middlesex, Millstone, Montgomery, Mountainside, North Plainfield, Peapak/Gladstone, Piscataway, Plainfield, Plainsboro, Pottersville, Raritan, Roselle, Roselle Park, Readington, Scotch Plains, Somerville, South Bound Brook, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Tewksbury, Union and Westfield.