TRENTON, N.J. — Residents of New Jersey’s capital and nearby areas were recently informed that their drinking water had gone without adequate testing for over a year. This notice affected around 200,000 customers, as the water utility revealed it had terminated an employee for fabricating test reports.
Trenton Water Works communicated to its clientele last week that the situation came to light approximately a year ago. An investigation indicated that the worker responsible for collecting water samples had tampered with reports intended to monitor levels of disinfection byproducts, E. Coli, and other contaminants from October 2022 until December of the same year. The utility confirmed that most water samples collected during this timeframe were invalid.
The employee in question, who was not identified in the utility’s communication, was placed on leave before being dismissed. Despite the serious nature of the issue, Trenton Water Works assured its customers that the water is currently safe for consumption and that no further action is required on their part.
Trenton’s Mayor Reed Gusciora condemned the falsification of water reports as “inexcusable.” He mentioned that the situation has been reported to the state’s environmental authorities and subsequently forwarded to the state attorney general’s office for further action.
“We’re doing everything possible to ensure the perpetrator is held accountable,” he stated. The mayor noted that the utility employs over 100 staff members, and the actions of one individual have caused significant embarrassment and concern. However, he also emphasized that other water tests did not raise any alarms.
When questioned about the delay in notifying the public regarding the false reports, Mayor Gusciora explained that the city was adhering to the mandates of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He clarified that the DEP required the notification, but at the time, there was no sign of an immediate threat to public health.
In light of these events, Trenton Water Works has announced enhancements to its oversight of water sample collection. Stricter procedures are now in place to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which includes the installation of GPS tracking systems on utility vehicles for better real-time monitoring of staff activities.
