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Trenton Water Works is under scrutiny after officials revealed that a water sample collector tampered with drinking water data, violating public trust and leading to immediate action.
The discovery was made in the fall of 2023, according to Mayor W. Reed Gusciora.
"This individual’s actions were a clear violation of public trust and are deeply disturbing," Mayor Gusciora said. "TWW immediately notified the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), referred the matter to law enforcement, and initiated the process to terminate this employee."
To prevent future incidents, TWW has introduced new oversight measures, including GPS tracking for fleet vehicles, photo documentation of sampling sites, supervisor pairings, specialized software on tablets, and additional staff training.
The mayor emphasized that TWW remains compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act and maintains rigorous water quality testing.
"TWW’s water quality testing is comprehensive and adheres to federal and state Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulations," he said. "While NJDEP invalidated a portion of the data collected over a 13-month period, I want to assure the public that at no point was the water provided to consumers unsafe to drink."
TWW tests water hourly at its Route 29 South filtration plant, Mayor Gusciora added, and has kept the public informed of developments using NJDEP-approved language.
With a legacy spanning over 160 years, the mayor said TWW remains committed to transparency and providing reliable service to its customers.
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