You see it happening. Maybe it has even taken place in your own town.
New Jersey American Water is always working somewhere in the state performing system upgrades and important improvement projects across the company’s service areas.
The Camden-based utility said Tuesday that its end-of-year investment total and system improvements for 2021 totaled more than $432 million throughout the year.
“Our goal at New Jersey American Water is to provide safe, reliable water and wastewater service to all of our customers,” said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. “From source to tap and back to the source again, our team of professionals works hard to maintain our facilities to keep them operating efficiently, meeting regulatory standards and delivering high quality water and wastewater service.”
Each year, New Jersey American Water invests millions of dollars in its infrastructure, which includes both maintenance and upgrades to its treatment systems and distribution, or pipeline, system. This includes regular maintenance and upgrades to treatment plants, tanks, pump stations, miles of pipe, water mains, fire hydrants and metering equipment.
For 2021, system improvement highlights include:
- Mains: The company invested $161.5 million to install more than 71 miles of main to replace and rehabilitate aging pipe and install new main to serve additional areas. Pipe improvement projects help improve water quality, pressure, fire protection and service reliability. In addition, approximately $3.5 million in leak detection equipment was invested to enhance our ability to respond to leaks and breaks.
- Source water, treatment and other production system improvements: New Jersey American Water spent over $87.4 million for improvements at its water treatment facilities, including:
- Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plant: Filter rehabilitation and water treatment residual press;
- Swimming River Water Treatment Plant: Second clearwell, electrical upgrades and emergency power;
- Canal Road Water Treatment Plant: Treatment upgrades and sedimentation basin improvements;
- Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant: Treatment improvements;
- Diamond Hill Station: Booster upgrades;
- Various facilities around the state: Automation and control system upgrades.
- Fire hydrants: The company replaced 548 fire hydrants and 2430 valves, an approximately $16.3 million investment.
- Service lines: New Jersey American Water replaced 9,006 service lines; an investment totaling approximately $31.7 million.
- Tanks/storage: New Jersey American Water rehabilitated four water tanks and conducted detailed inspections on 109 tanks, an investment totaling approximately $9.5 million.
