Trenton, N.J. — Trenton Water Works announced today that it would suspend some of its operations for a period of two weeks, effective Monday, due to the Coronavirus emergency.
“We are taking this precaution to protect our employees and customers,” said Michael Walker, Chief of Communications and Community Relations for Trenton Water Works. “We are implementing social distancing, reducing employee density in accordance with CDC recommendations, and suspending non-essential fieldwork.”
Effective on Monday, March 16, TWW will suspend its hydrant-inspection program, seasonal meter installations, non-emergency meter installations, backflow-prevention permit inspections, and water-service shutoffs. Water-service interruptions executed prior to the suspension of operations will be restored on a case-by-case basis. Also, door-to-door, pipe-material surveying for TWW’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program and in-home work will be suspended. However, TWW’s two contract vendors will continue doing replacements of lead services at customer homes in our system that already have copper or plastic.
In-person service at TWW’s Cortland Street operations center is also suspended, and the facility is temporarily closed to the public. Customers who need to make payments on their accounts can visit payment windows at City Hall, 319 East State Street in Trenton. Customer service representatives are available by calling (609) 989-3055. TWW will extend payment due dates two weeks to account for the closure of the customer service desk at Cortland Street. The drop box at Cortland Street is also available.
These precautionary measures will be in effect for two weeks, and are subject to change commensurate with the spread of the Coronavirus and the recommendations and emergency direction of local, state and federal officials and regulatory authorities.
Customers and residents who have questions about TWW’s Coronavirus response can call the Office of Communications and Community Relations at (609) 989-3033, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Operations at TWW’s water-filtration plant on Route 29 South in Trenton will continue without interruption,” added Walker. “In the event that employees at the plant are impacted by the virus, we have strong contingency plans in place to ensure that the plant continues to supply 28 million gallons of drinking water each day.”
Trenton Water Works is among the largest publicly owned, urban water utilities in the United States. It supplies an average of 27 million gallons of Delaware River-sourced drinking water per day to 63,000 metered customers. It services more than 200,000 people in Trenton, parts of Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township and Hopewell Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. Established more than 200 years ago, TWW operates a 60-million-gallon water-filtration plant and water-distribution system that includes a 100-million-gallon reservoir. TWW’s system has 683 miles of water mains varying in size from 4 to 48 inches in diameter, three pump stations, and six interconnections between TWW and other water suppliers.
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