On Sept. 13, New Jersey American Water launched its third annual workforce training program with a new partner: Rowan College of South Jersey.
Water UP! – Water Utility Pipeline – is a paid, nine-week course for adults that equips trainees with hands-on water utility and skills necessary to join the water and wastewater utility industry, according to the Camden-based company.
This is the first year the program was created in partnership with Rowan College, which provides participants with six technical elective college credits.
Water UP! helps adults from traditionally underserved areas gain industry skills, such as utility-specific training, customer service training, key administrative skills and OSHA 30 certification.
McDonough
“The sustainability and longevity of the water utility industry is only as good as its employees, which is why it is so important that we continue training programs like Water UP! to invest in a new generation of talent,” New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said in a statement.
The 2023 class includes 10 adults who were selected by the utility and the college through an application and interview process. The course takes place at Rowan College’s Career and Technical Education Department and New Jersey American Water’s new Lawnside Operations Center. Rowan College administers the classroom-based business lessons, and the hands-on field training is facilitated by New Jersey American Water.
“This is a great example of how our program partnerships provide students and workers with the pathways they need to find new careers and opportunity, and to ensure that employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet critical labor market needs in South Jersey,” said Brigette Satchell, dean, Career and Technical Education, Rowan College.
The 2023 Water UP! program is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Climate Action, the Green Economy and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Building our Resilient, Inclusive, and Diverse Green Economy (BRIDGE) Initiative.
Several participants in the first two years of the program received employment offers from New Jersey American Water and its parent company, American Water, as well as other utility businesses or industry partners, according to the company.
On Sept. 11, to commemorate the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, New Jersey American Water announced the recipients of its 2023 Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant Program.
Nineteen volunteer fire and EMS departments within the company’s service areas will receive a total of more than $43,000. The funds will be used to support initiatives and training and/or to purchase upgraded equipment such as gas meters, hoses, emergency lights and more.
Mark Iannarella, New Jersey American Water’s director of health and safety – and a former volunteer firefighter with the Pennsauken Fire Department – said “safety is paramount” for the Camden-based utility company.
Describing the first responders as “everyday heroes,” Iannarella added, “These brave men and women work selflessly and tirelessly to safeguard our communities, and we hope these funds will make that task a bit easier.”
The 2023 Volunteer Firefighter and EMS grant recipients are:
Eatontown Fire Department, Monmouth County
Green Village Volunteer Fire Department, Morris County
Hi-Nella Fire Co. No. 1, Camden County
Independence Fire Co. No. 1, Burlington County
Liberty Corner Fire Co., Somerset County
Little Silver Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, Monmouth County
Long Branch Fire Department, Monmouth County
Marmora Volunteer Fire Co., Cape May County
Mendham Township First Aid Squad, Morris County
Millburn Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad Inc., Essex County
Monmouth Beach Fire Co., Monmouth County
Montgomery Emergency Medical Services, Somerset County
Neshanic Volunteer Fire Co., Somerset County
Oceanville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, Atlantic County
Oxford Volunteer Fire Department, Warren County
Relief Fire Co. No. 4, Somerset County
Sea Bright Fire Rescue, Monmouth County
Strathmere Volunteer Fire Co., Cape May County
Watchung Chemical Engine Co., Somerset County
New Jersey American Water will present checks to departments in attendance at the 2023 New Jersey State Fireman’s Association Convention in Wildwood on Sept. 15.
The company also recently launched another program aimed at strengthening its communities: Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant Program, which is now accepting applications.
Fast facts: Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant Program
Launched in 2011•290 grants have been awarded •154 fire departments and emergency response units have received grants •More than $351,000 in grant funding has been distributed
New Jersey American Water is now accepting applications for its new Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant Program, the Camden-based utility announced Sept. 7.
The program is open to public charities, K-12 public schools, colleges or universities within its service area that are working on initiatives aimed at promoting and fostering inclusion and diversity in their communities.
Funding will be provided by the American Water Charitable Foundation, as part of its State Strategic Grant Program. The maximum grant amount is $2,500.
New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said the new program expands on the organization’s own efforts, which have made it “a better company,” allowing it to better serve its customers across the state.
McDonough
“Over the last several years, New Jersey American Water has championed many important inclusion and diversity efforts to support meaningful change across the communities we serve,” McDonough said in a statement. “Investing in community organizations that are working to make New Jersey a more equitable and friendly place to live, work and play benefits us all,” he continued.
For its diversity initiatives, American Water reported 43.5% diversity across its workforce, 24.1% of its workforce who identifies as female (including 66.7% of its leadership team), a total of $603 million in diverse supplier spend in 2022, and 14 awards for the company’s ID&E efforts.
Camden-based New Jersey American Water is starting several infrastructure-upgrade projects around the state this summer, investing a total of $21 million across Camden, Atlantic, Monmouth and Union counties.
In July 2021, New Jersey enacted a law requiring all water providers to replace utility- and customer-owned lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.
Late last month, New Jersey American Water announced progress on that goal — with more than 4,000 lead and galvanized steel water service lines replaced to date. However, the company noted there were still 24,000 water service lines to be replaced and more yet to be identified. The recently announced projects around the state will help move closer to meeting that target.
Additionally, all the improvements are part of the company’s multimillion-dollar initiative to improve water infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life in more than 100 communities across the state.
All work timelines are subject to change, based on conditions such as weather, and residents are encouraged to be aware of restricted or alternating traffic patterns.
The following areas are undergoing work:
Audubon: $1.5 million total investment
The company’s local contractor, Pioneer Pipe Contractors Inc., is replacing more than a mile of aging water main with new 8-inch ductile iron main along West Kings Highway from West Atlantic Avenue to Hillside Avenue and West Merchant Street from Oakland Avenue to Central Avenue.
The project also includes replacing fire hydrants and utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route. Additionally, New Jersey American Water will replace any customer-owned service line that has been identified as lead or galvanized.
The contractors began work mid-July on West Kings Highway and will start work the week of Aug. 7 on West Merchant Street. The project is expected to be completed within four months on each street, with final street restorations to be completed in spring 2024.
Atlantic County: $3.6 million total investment
Contractor Perna Finnigan Inc. is replacing more than 2 miles of aging water main in Linwood and Pleasantville with new 8- and 12-inch ductile iron main. The project 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 work, which is underway in both locations, is expected to be completed by the end of August in Linwood and by December in Pleasantville. Final street restorations will be completed in fall 2023 and spring 2024.
The following streets will be affected:
Linwood
Barr Avenue from Maple Avenue to Wabash Avenue
Pleasantville
Magnolia Place from North Main Street to McConnell Drive
Laurel Drive from Magnolia Place to McConnell Drive
McConnell Drive from Cedarcrest Avenue to East Leads Avenue
East Leads Avenue from North Main Street to Iowa Avenue
East Princeton Avenue from Main Street to Iowa Avenue
Loraine Avenue from North Main Street to the dead end
North Franklin Boulevard from East Mulberry Avenue to Walnut Avenue
Walnut Avenue from North Franklin Boulevard to Clearview Avenue
Mulberry Avenue from Linden Avenue to Franklin Boulevard
East Reading Avenue from North Franklin Boulevard to Clearview Avenue
Clearview Avenue from East Reading Avenue to Franklin Point
Monmouth County: $15.2 million total investment
New Jersey American Water began work in mid-July replacing more than 5 miles of aging water main in Fair Haven, Middletown Township and Union Beach. The water lines are being replaced with new ductile iron main.
As with other locations around the state, this project also includes replacing fire hydrants and utility-owned service lines and customer-owned lead or galvanized service lines along the pipeline route. Work is expected to be completed within approximately three months, with final street restorations to be completed in spring 2024.
The following areas will be affected; work will take place along the entire street unless otherwise noted:
Fair Haven
Church Street
Fisk Street
Hayes Place
Jackson Street
Locust Avenue
Park Lane from Linden Drive to Laurel Drive
Smith Street
Leonardo, Middletown Township
Bellevue Avenue from State Highway 36 to Leonardville Road
Bowne Avenue
Briarwood Avenue
Brook Avenue from Powell Avenue to Oakland Avenue
Chamone Avenue from State Highway 36 to Leonardville Road
Elmwood Avenue
Lenwood Avenue from Elmwood Avenue to Briarwood Avenue
Oakland Avenue
Powell Avenue
Tiensch Avenue
North Middletown, Middletown Township
Atlantic Avenue from Neptune Place to Sycamore Avenue
Carter Avenue
Clinton Avenue
Columbia Way
Dalby Place from Morningside Place to the West side dead end
Hudson Avenue from Sycamore Avenue to Thompson Avenue
Krueger Place from Morningside Place to Atlantic Avenue
Oregon Avenue
Richard Place
South End Avenue
Sycamore Avenue from Atlantic Avenue to Hudson Avenue
Taylor Avenue
Union Place
Union Beach
Scholer Drive
Dibling Street
Donnelly Street
Heckleman Street
Haug Street
Anderson Street
Linden: $700,000 total investment
Starting this week, Montana Construction will install approximately 700 feet of new 8- and 24-inch ductile iron main along Stiles Street, from Lynn Court to West Linden Avenue, and West Linden Avenue, from Stiles Street to Coolidge Street.
The project also includes installing one fire hydrant and 20 utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route. Workers also will replace any lead or galvanized customer-owned service line.
Work is expected to be completed within approximately three weeks, with final street restorations to be completed in spring 2024.
Pitching in
The company also called upon New Jersey communities to lend a hand in the line-replacement efforts.
“We’ll do all the work — all we need customers to do is identify their service line material using our online portal, and if it’s confirmed to be lead or galvanized steel, sign the agreement giving our contractors permission to complete the replacement,” New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said in a statement.
“For this effort to truly be successful, we need everyone to ‘pipe up’ and tell us what their service lines are made of, so we can work together to get the lead out of New Jersey, once and for all,” McDonough added.
New Jersey American Water announced July 18 that it distributed $950,000 in grant funding to three nonprofit organizations in its hometown of Camden.
According to the utility company, the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit grants – announced in coordination with the Department of Community Affairs – will fund several community and economic development initiatives; housing and homeownership programs; as well as environmental, quality of life and youth social services.
In total, 29 projects across the city will benefit from the grants. The organizations that received the funding are:
Parkside Business and Community in Partnership: $565,000
PBCIP focuses on Camden’s Parkside neighborhood to address inequity, promote greater access to health and well-being, and build community. PBCIP’s proposed projects include small business training, new home sales, vacant storefront art activation and an urban farming initiative. Bridget Phifer, CEO of PBCIP, called the funds “invaluable.”
Heart of Camden: $335,000
Founded in 1984, this organization works to advance community improvement and green space initiatives in the city’s Waterfront South district. Proposed projects include an owner-occupied home repair program, installation of mixed-use retail and art studios, and the formation of an environmental justice task force. Carlos Morales, executive director, said this funding “will change lives.”
St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society: $50,000
This group focuses on home building and repair as well as efforts to increase homeowner retention and prevent foreclosures throughout East Camden. Proposed projects include capital improvement initiatives, home weatherizing and an East Camden Multi-Cultural Day. Pilar Hogan Closkey, executive director, said the funding will be key to improving residents’ quality of life and “building wealth throughout the community,” among other benefits.
“Our community commitment goes beyond the services we provide—it means investing in the programs, institutions, and opportunities that enable tangible benefits for residents of the communities we serve,” New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said in a statement. “We’re proud to support these Camden-based community organizations that are so central to economic growth and revitalization.”
McDonough added that the state’s NRTC program is “a critical asset in delivering lasting, real change.”
Since 2010, New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, has provided approximately $11 million in grants to community initiatives through the tax credit program. Approximately $9.9 million of that total has stayed in Camden.
“American Water continues to live up to its commitment to our city as a true member of our community. They understand the importance of business, community and government all working together to continue the positive transformation that is happening here in Camden,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. “And these three community organizations are representative of the strength, determination and vision of our citizens to create a better life for their families and their communities, and they are so deserving of this financial support to continue their missions.”
Did you know: New Jersey is home to the largest floating solar array in North America?
That’s according to New Jersey American Water and NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV), the Wall-based renewable energy subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, which owns and operates the Canoe Brook reservoir solar array in Short Hills.
On June 6, CEV and New Jersey American Water officials cut the ribbon on the floating solar array – an 8.9-megawatt (MW) project consisting of 16,510 solar panels and covering 17 acres of the reservoir. The facility began operation in January.
The clean energy generated by the array is enough to power 1,400 homes annually and will provide approximately 95% of the power needs for New Jersey American Water’s Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant, which produces 14 million gallons of drinking water per day and serves 84,000 customers, according to the companies.
The array uses a racking system that enables the panels to float on water. Building arrays on man-made lakes or reservoirs helps solve the problem of finding suitable locations to accommodate large-scale commercial solar installations in densely populated areas, such as New Jersey.
“Floating solar technology creates new opportunities for underutilized bodies of water, allowing space that would otherwise sit vacant to enable large-scale renewable energy generation, which helps to bring the benefits of clean energy to even more customers,” CEV Vice President Robert Pohlman said in a statement, adding that projects such as this advance the state’s clean energy and climate goals.
Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, said it was essential for the Camden-based water utility “to be good stewards of the environment by operating efficiently and in a manner that helps protect our natural resources.”
CEV also noted that the solar power produced by the array is equal to removing 8,121 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere compared with traditional power sources. The panels can also help reduce evaporation, which protects the water source and benefits the environment.
From left: Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn LaTourette; Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water; Robert Pohlman, vice president of NJR Clean Energy Ventures; and NJBPU Commissioner Mary-Anna Holden celebrate the Canoe Brook floating solar array. – NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER
Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn LaTourette, who also attended the ribbon cutting, said the Canoe Brook project “is an example of innovative leadership by critical partners in business and industry working hard to ensure the Garden State reduces its climate risk,” which repeatedly harms New Jersey’s communities and economy.
Yet another official at the event, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Mary-Anna Holden said, “We are proud to see the largest floating solar facility in North America be built in New Jersey. It truly underscores the efforts that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities puts towards a diverse, clean, energy future.”
Since 2009, CEV has invested more than $1 billion in commercial and residential solar projects, maintaining 65 commercial solar assets across four states and a portfolio of more than 440 MW of installed capacity.
In January, New Jersey American Water issued a call for applications for its 2023 Environmental Grant Program. On May 30, the Camden utility announced the five recipients of more than $40,000 in grants.
The initiative offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and groundwater supplies in local communities.
“We understand that clean water is not only essential for people but also crucial for the well-being of our environment. That’s why we take great pride in providing the funds needed to support these innovative projects,” Danielle Kearsley, environmental program lead, said in a statement.
“Through investments in the restoration and protection of our watersheds, we actively contribute to the preservation of our precious water sources and the thriving ecosystems they support, helping to ensure their sustainability for generations to come,” Kearsley added.
The 2023 Environmental Grant Awardees are:
Delaware River Greenway Partnership: $7,000
This partnership is an all-volunteer litter cleanup and tree-planting effort in Belvidere, benefiting the Pequest River, a key Delaware River tributary.
Pinelands Preservation Alliance: $5,000
The alliance will use the funds to plant approximately 50 trees in Lumberton Township to assist in naturally retaining stormwater to help reduce flooding in the community through green infrastructure.
This project will assist in locating the exact source of existing E. Coli impacts on the South Branch of the Rockaway Creek in Readington to determine whether it is due to malfunctioning septic systems or Bovine excretions. The Rockaway Creek flows in the Lamington River, which flows into the North Branch of the Raritan, which is used as drinking water for more than 1 million people in New Jersey.
Somerset County Park Commission: $10,000
The commission’s reforestation project in Duke Island Park will help stabilize the riparian buffer along the lower Raritan River. The project will help replace trees lost during Hurricane Ida and the Emerald Ash Borer and ultimately allow for water quality improvements as native plant root systems will help to filter out toxins and help alleviate flooding.
Toms River Environmental Commission: $8,430
These funds will be used for a pollinator garden in Ortley Beach, to be built between the parking lot and beach boardwalk between Coolidge Avenue and the oceanfront in Ortley Beach.
Since its launch about 15 years ago, the Environmental Grant Program has provided more than $471,000 in funding to 56 community-based environmental projects, according to New Jersey American Water.
The American Water Charitable Foundation is doing its part to improve students’ access to high-quality drinking water as well as to reduce the use of bottled water.
The foundation – a 501(c)(3) organization established by Camden-based American Water – announced May 17 that it provided a $25,000 state strategic grant and that New Jersey American Water has provided more than $5,000 to fund reusable bottle filling stations in cafeterias throughout the Camden City School District.
The new stations will replace old water fountains in 18 Camden schools. Additionally, all enrolled students will receive a reusable water bottle. The district serves nearly 6,000 students, faculty and staff.
Installation of the filling stations began in March and should be completed by the end of May. The stations are being leased and maintained through a contract agreement with DS Business Life Simplified, which has offices in Kenilworth.
“No student, teacher, faculty member, or Camden resident should have to pay for bottled water when the tap water being provided meets all quality standards and is available for about a penny per gallon, versus anywhere from 86 cents to more than $8 a gallon,” Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water and a foundation board member, said in a statement.
Funding was made possible through the foundation’s State Strategic Impact grant program, which was launched in 2022 to help support high-impact projects and initiatives throughout American Water’s service areas. These grants are part of the foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing program, focused on three pillars of giving: water, people and communities.
Superintendent of Camden Schools Katarina McCombs called the donation “a much-needed investment” that not only provides a healthy option for students but also “significantly reduces the district’s current spending for bottled water, which creates opportunities to invest in other school programs and initiatives.”
Kate Barrett, president of the Campbell Soup Foundation – CAMPBELL SOUP CO.
The initiative is part of New Jersey American Water’s participation in Full Futures: A School Nutrition Partnership, a program launched by Campbell Soup Co. and nonprofit and corporate partners in 2021. Full Futures works to ensure that all students are well-nourished and “ready to thrive.”
Kate Barrett, president of the Campbell Soup Foundation, thanked New Jersey American Water and its foundation for the “generous donation.”
Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen added, “Once again, American Water is providing meaningful investment in our shared community. Not only do they invest in their infrastructure that treats and delivers our water every day, but they are helping our children make a healthy beverage choice, while helping our schools reduce the amount of money spent on bottled water, and helping encourage people to stop using and discarding single-use plastic bottles that end up littering our streets and waterways.”
Two New Jersey water utility companies announced new projects to update infrastructure around the state.
Middlesex Water Co. will head to the Borough of Carteret and parts of the Port Reading community in Woodbridge, while New Jersey American Water will work on areas of North Plainfield, Berkeley Heights and Cherry Hill.
Carteret and Port Reading
As part of its annual RENEW program, Iselin-based Middesex Water will begin an $11.1 million initiative to upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Carteret and Port Reading.
The company will replace 26,000 linear feet of water main, as well as service lines, valves and fire hydrants. It will also remove any lead or galvanized steel service lines as part of its Knocking Out Lead program.
The following Carteret streets will be affected: Arthur Avenue, Ash Street, Birch Street, Casey Street, Coolidge Avenue, Daniel Street, East Chestnut Street, East Laurel Street, Jackson Avenue, Marion Street, McKinley Avenue, Mulberry Street, Spruce Street, Sumutka Avenue, Sycamore Street, Tyler Avenue and Willow Street.
These Port Reading streets are included in the project: Dawn Drive, Henry Street, Holly Street, Larch Street, Southeast Grant Avenue and Vernon Way.
Customers, who will be notified in advance by phone and door hangers, can expect to be without water service for six to eight hours while work is being done.
While treated water delivered by Middlesex is lead free, as water travels through a lead service line, the corrosion of a pipe can add lead into the treated water delivered to customers.
A state law enacted in July 2021 requires investor-owned and municipal water utilities to replace all utility-owned and customer-owned lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031. – PEXELS
A state law enacted in July 2021 requires investor-owned and municipal water utilities to replace all utility-owned and customer-owned lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031. Middlesex said it removed all of its known lead lines decades ago. Any customer-owned service lines will be replaced with copper service lines at no direct cost to the property owner or tenant.
Robert Fullagar, Middlesex Water’s vice president of operations, said the RENEW and Knocking Out Lead initiatives aim for added system resiliency.
“While RENEW work helps improve service reliability, fire flows and service quality, replacing lead service lines is a major public health benefit as it helps reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water,” Fullagar said.
Set for a spring 2024 start, the 2023 RENEW Program is expected to take eight to nine months to complete with road, sidewalk and lawn restoration, weather permitting. Residents are cautioned to be aware of possible traffic disruptions.
The project also includes the installation of exterior, below ground meter pits to eventually house water meters at each customer’s residence. Middlesex Water will also relocate meters from inside homes to these exterior pits.
North Plainfield
Camden-based New Jersey American Water began a $5.7 million project to replace more than 2 miles of aging water main in North Plainfield the week of April 13. The company will upgrade aging 6-inch water lines with 8- and 12-inch ductile iron main along the following streets:
Mountain Avenue from Norwood Avenue to Somerset Street
Belmont Avenue from Mountain Avenue to Brook Avenue
Oneida Avenue from Mountain Avenue to Brook Avenue
Somerset Street from New Walnut Street to Grandview Avenue
NJ American Water will also replace 15 fire hydrants and 176 utility-owned service lines, as well as any customer-owned lead or galvanized service line.
The North Plainfield project is expected to be completed within eight months, weather permitting. Final street restorations will be completed by the town.
Berkeley Heights
Work began this week on the $3.8 million Berkeley Heights infrastructure project, which will include replacing approximately 7,100 feet of aging water main along Park Avenue from Plainfield Avenue to Mountain Avenue, as well as replacing seven fire hydrants and 79 utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route and any customer-owned lead and galvanized service line.
Work is expected to take approximately five months, with final street restorations to be completed in the fall.
Cherry Hill
Work is underway in Cherry Hill on a $2.8 million project, which is expected to be completed by the end of October. NJ American Water is replacing about 2.5 miles of aging water main along the following streets:
Cedarbrook Road from North Brookfield Road to South Brookfield Road
Collins Drive from East Eagle Lane to Mimosa Drive
Daytona Avenue from North Kings Highway to Princess Road
Deland Avenue from Queen Avenue to Princess Road
East Eagle Lane from Split Rock Drive to Collins Drive
East Split Rock Drive from Lamp Post Lane to Split Rock Drive
East Tampa Avenue from North Kings Highway to Princess Road
Firethorne Road from Old Orchard Road to Roanoke Road
Locust Grove Drive from Roanoke Road to Lamp Post Lane
Mimosa Drive from Collins Drive to Rye Road
Queen Avenue from Daytona Avenue to Deland Avenue
South Brookfield Road from Greenbrook Road to North Valley Brook Road
Split Rock Drive from West Eagle Lane to West Split Rock Drive
Wagon Lane from Knollwood Drive to Knollwood Drive
West Split Rock Drive from Lamp Post Lane to Split Rock Drive
The company will also replace eight fire hydrants, 227 utility-owned service lines and any lead or galvanized customer-owned service lines. Final street restorations will be completed in spring 2024.
NJ American Water also recently started work in Monmouth and Cape May counties. All of the company’s projects are part of the its multimillion-dollar initiative to improve water infrastructure in more than 100 communities across the state.
Drivers should expect alternate or restricted travel while these projects are underway. All timelines are subject to change.
Monmouth County
A contractor for the Camden-based water utility began work to replace approximately 800 feet of aging water transmission main along the border of Red Bank, Shrewsbury and Little Silver.
Additionally, the company is upgrading the 36-inch cast iron water line that was installed in the 1920s with new 36-inch ductile iron main along Newman Springs Road from about 6 Newman Springs Road to Broad Street, beneath the New Jersey Transit railway tracks, and along Rumson Place from Broad Street to West Lake Road.
Work on Rumson Place will take place during normal daytime hours with some night work expected. Work on Newman Springs Road (County Road 520) will take place at night because of a Monmouth County ordinance.
The project, a total investment of $7.4 million, is expected to be completed within two months, weather permitting. Final street restorations will be completed this fall.
Also in Monmouth County, New Jersey American Water is replacing more than a mile of aging water main in Rumson. It will upgrade the infrastructure along the entire length of Ivins Place, Riverside Drive and Wardell Avenue.
As part of this $1.9 million project, contractors will replace five fire hydrants and 80 utility-owned service lines along the pipeline route in addition to replacing any customer-owned lead or galvanized service lines as part of a statewide initiative to remove these lines by 2031.
Work is expected to be completed within about three months, weather permitting. Work hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Final street restorations will be completed by the town.
Ocean City
As part of a $2.5 million investment, New Jersey American Water is replacing 2,210 feet of aging wastewater main in Ocean City in Cape May County. It’s also upgrading the 6- and 8-inch sewer lines that were installed in the 1960s with new 8-inch PVC main along the following streets:
Simpson Avenue/ Haven Avenue Alley from 34th Street to 35th Street
Haven Avenue/West Avenue Alley from 34th Street to 35th Street
Moorlyn Terrace from Atlantic Avenue to Ocean Avenue
Somerset Lane from Somerset Avenue to Oxford Lane
Work is expected to be completed within approximately two months, weather permitting. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Final street restorations will be completed this fall.
American Water unveiled a few shifts on its leadership team April 6, while also giving an annual update on its company responsibility efforts.
As for executives of the parent company and New Jersey subsidiary, Stephen Bishop was named vice president general counsel and secretary for New Jersey American Water. He succeeds Debbie Albrecht, who was promoted to vice president, chief rates and regulatory counsel for parent company American Water.
Bringing more than 25 years of legal counsel experience to role, Bishop will provide legal counsel and representation for the Camden water utility and will be responsible for overseeing the legal services that support state-regulated operations.
Bishop joined American Water in 2008 as corporate counsel for American Water Enterprises. In 2015, he was promoted to senior director of corporate counsel for American Water’s Eastern Division, which includes regulated operations in New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland. Before his most recent move, he was deputy general counsel for the subsidiary.
Prior to joining American Water, Bishop was a member at the Cozen O’Connor law firm in Philadelphia for four years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Stephen has the experience and determination to lead our legal team,” New Jersey American Water Mark McDonough said in a statement. “His extensive background in legal counsel with over fifteen years within the water industry continues to be a valuable resource to our company.”
Bishop earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College and a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law.
Company progress
The same day, American Water announced it published its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Data Summary and the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (ID&E) Summary.
The ESG Data Summary shares metrics such as water quality compliance, health and safety, customer affordability and corporate governance. The ID&E Summary includes diversity metrics for the company’s board of directors and workforce and more.
Some of the company’s environmental achievements include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 37%, working toward its 2025 goal of 40%; a 52% reduction in recordable injuries since 2017; and $14 billion to $15 billion in capital investments. Click here to read the ESG report.
For its diversity initiatives, American Water reported 43.5% diversity across its workforce, 24.1% of its workforce who identifies as female (including 66.7% of its leadership team), a total of $603 million in diverse supplier spend in 2022, and 14 awards for the company’s ID&E efforts. Click here to read the ID&E summary.
“American Water is delighted to issue these key data metrics and offer additional information on our ESG and ID&E journey,” American Water President and CEO Susan Hardwick said in a statement. “Many of our stakeholders look for measurable progress in both areas and invest with companies that are actively committed to making a positive environmental and equitable impact in the communities they serve.”
Updated at 4:36 p.m. ET March 28, 2023: New Jersey American Water is lifting its voluntary conservation order that was put into place March 26 for its customers in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, the company announced March 28. The company maintains that treated water from its Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant was not affected by a recent chemical spill in Pennsylvania.
The notice was lifted because the company is able to replenish its source water supply more frequently as the threat of contamination continues to diminish, the statement said.
“As more time passes and all river samples continue to show no detection of contaminant, we are more confident in drawing source water as needed to replenish our reserves,” New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said. “We will continue to monitor and test the source water by our intakes to ensure it is appropriate for us to take in.”
The original story, published March 27, 2023, continues below:
In response to a chemical spill from a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County, New Jersey American Water released a statement March 26 reassuring customers that treated water from its Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant was not affected.
“We continue to monitor the quality of the Delaware River and have activated our business continuity plans to continue to provide safe, reliable service to customers in this three-county region,” New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said in a statement.
The Camden-based water utility said that, through these ongoing water tests, it has determined the spill did not affect the treated drinking water delivered to customers in the three counties served by the Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant, which recently underwent a $2.5 million upgrade.
However, McDonough said the company is asking those customers in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties “to voluntarily reduce their unnecessary water usage for the next 24 to 48 hours to help us in our ability to maintain optimal operations and a plentiful supply for the region.”
The company will issue a follow-up notice with this request has been lifted. Customers can also check New Jersey American Water’s website or follow the company on social media.
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