Your water may soon taste funny in these seven NJ counties

💧 NJ American Water plans a temporary treatment change in water plants

💧The process affects seven counties in New Jersey

💧 Customers may notice a slight taste and smell in their water

Heads up if you live in Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties.

As part of an annual maintenance program for its water distribution system, New Jersey American Water has announced it will temporarily change the water treatment process from a chloramine (combined) residual free chlorine residual at the company’s Raritan-Millstone and Canal Road Water treatment plants.

What does this mean?

A temporary treatment process will begin the week of Feb. 12 and continue until the end of April.

During this period, some customers may notice a slight taste and smell of chlorine in their water. NJ American Water said this is normal and will only be temporary until the system maintenance is complete.

To reduce the taste of chlorine, customers can place water in an uncovered glass container in the refrigerator overnight to dissipate chlorine faster.

“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,” said Laura Norkute, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance, at New Jersey American Water.

This distribution system maintenance program is performed every year as an added measure of disinfection in the distribution system, she added.

Who is affected?

The temporary treatment change applies to New Jersey American Water customers in the following seven communities.

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

Morris County: Chatham Township, Long Hill Township, Mendham Township, and Mendham Borough

Somerset County: Bedminister 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 and Gladstone Borough, Raritan Borough, Rocky Hill, Somerville Borough, South Bound Brook Borough, Warren Township, and Watchung Borough.

Union County: Berkeley 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.

For more information visit New Jersey American Water's website.

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