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New Jersey American Water is continuing infrastructure upgrade work across its service area, with the latest project launching in Ocean City. 

The $3.8 million investment includes upgrading water lines that were installed in the 1900s with new 8-inch ductile iron main along: 

• 31st Street from Central Avenue to Asbury Avenue 
• Central Avenue from 28th Street to 34th Street 
• Fifth Street from West Avenue to Asbury Avenue 
• Fourth Street from West Avenue to Asbury Avenue 
• West Avenue from Third Street to Fifth Street and from Sixth Street to Ninth Street 

Pioneer Pipe Contractors Inc. and Perna Finnigan Inc. – the Camden-based utility’s contractors – are performing the work. It also includes replacing fire hydrants and utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route as well as any customer-owned lead or galvanized service line. 

The project is expected to be completed within four months, considering weather and the availability of supplies. Final street restorations will be completed in spring and fall of 2024. 

To support projects such as the Ocean City work, the company filed a petition Jan. 19 with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requesting new rates. If the proposed rates are approved, the water bill for the average residential customer using 5,640 gallons per month would increase about $11.30 per month, and the average monthly residential wastewater bill would increase about $6.16 per month, the company said. 

Temporary treatment change 

NJ American Water also announced that it will temporarily change the water treatment process from a chloramine (combined) residual to free chlorine residual at four of its water treatment plants beginning the week of Feb. 12 and continuing through mid-April. 

Laura Norkute, director of water quality and environmental compliance, said the company performs this maintenance every year “as an added measure of disinfection in our distribution system.” 

“This periodic, scheduled change in disinfectant is a standard water treatment practice that allows us to continue to provide safe, high-quality water for our customers,” Norkute added.

The company said that, during this process, customers may notice a slight taste and smell of chlorine in their water, which is normal and temporary. To reduce the taste, customers can place water in an uncovered glass container in the refrigerator overnight to dissipate chlorine faster.

The change will take place at the Raritan-Millstone and Canal Road water treatment plants – which serve customers in Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties – and at the Swimming River and Jumping Brook plants, which serve Monmouth and Ocean counties. 

The temporary treatment change applies to customers in the following areas (communities with an asterisk also purchase water from NJ American Water): 

• Essex County:
  Irvington 
• Hunterdon County:
  Flemington Borough*, Raritan Township, Readington Township and Tewksbury Township 
• Mercer County:
  Hopewell Borough*, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township*, Princeton Borough, Princeton Junction, Princeton Township, Trenton* and West Windsor Township 
• Middlesex County:
  Cranbury Township, Dunellen Borough, Edison Township, Jamesburg Borough, Middlesex Borough, Monroe Township, North Brunswick*, Piscataway Township, Plainsboro Township, South Brunswick Township and South Plainfield Borough 
• Monmouth County:
  Aberdeen Township*, Aberdeen, Allenhurst, Asbury Park City, Atlantic Highlands, Avon, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Colts Neck Township, Deal, Eatontown, Elberon, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel Township, Interlaken, Keansburg, Keyport*, Lake Como, Little Silver, Loch Arbor Village, Long Branch City, Matawan, Middletown Township, Monmouth Beach, Naval Weapons Station Earle*, Neptune City, Neptune Township (including Ocean Grove), Ocean Township, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls, Union Beach, Wanamassa and West Long Branch 
• Morris County:
  Chatham Township, Long Hill Township, Mendham Township Mendham Borough 
• Ocean County:
  Bay Head and Point Pleasant Borough* 
• Somerset County:
  Bedminster Township, Bernards Township, Bernardsville Borough, Bound Brook Borough, Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township, Far Hills Borough, Franklin Township, Green Brook Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville Borough, Millstone Borough, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield Borough, Peapack & Gladstone Borough, Raritan Borough, Rocky Hill*, Somerville Borough, South Bound Brook Borough, Warren Township and Watchung Borough 
• Union County:
  Berkley Heights Township, City of Rahway*, Clark Township, Cranford Township, City of Elizabeth (Liberty)*, Fanwood Borough, Garwood Borough, Hillside Township, Kenilworth Borough, Linden City, Mountainside Borough, New Providence Borough, Plainfield City, Roselle Borough, Roselle Park Borough, Scotch Plains Township, Summit, Union Township, Westfield Township and Winfield Park Township*