What may be affecting the taste and odor of the water?

​

• An investigation by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection cited a release of alpha-pinene into a tributary of the Raritan River, a source of supply for our water treatment plants in central NJ.

​

What is alpha-pinene?

 

• Alpha-pinene is used in flavor, fragrance, pharmaceutical, and other consumer products.

How did it get into the river?

 

• The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJ DEP) investigation identified a leak that occurred on Dec. 16 from a re-packaging facility in Branchburg, N.J. into a tributary of the Raritan River.

How are you addressing the taste and odor issues?

 

• We proactively modified our treatment process in an effort to increase removal of odor-causing compounds and conducted hydrant flushing to remove it from our system. We also requested additional releases of water from the New Jersey Water Supply Authority’s reservoirs to bring additional source water into the river.

How long will the taste and odor issues be present?

 

• We anticipate that the taste and odor will continue to be diluted and dissipate but it is possible that the taste and odor will persist for several days. 

Is the water safe to drink?

 

• NJ DEP has stated: “Based on the extensive water quality testing information our department and New Jersey American Water have collected, nothing has been identified as a risk to public health. For this reason, no drinking water advisory is being issued.”  All water leaving New Jersey American Water’s two Raritan system treatment plants meets state and federal drinking water standards.

If I can still smell it, how is it safe to drink?

 

• Due to the aromatic nature of these compounds, the taste and odor can be detected at trace amounts, down to the parts per trillion level. One part per trillion is equivalent to four drops in Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium, or one second in 32,000 years. 

Why weren’t we informed of the leak sooner?

 

• New Jersey American Water began sharing water quality results with the NJ DEP from the start of this issue when we began to receive taste and odor inquiries from customers late in the evening on Tuesday, December 17. 

• From that point, NJ DEP began an investigation to determine the cause of the taste and odor. In a statement released in the afternoon of December 23, the NJ DEP attributed it to a leak that occurred on Dec. 16 from a re-packaging facility in Branchburg, N.J. into a tributary of the Raritan River. 

Where are you sampling?

 

• We are sampling at 49 locations in source water, throughout our treatment process, and various points throughout our distribution system across the potentially impacted municipalities.

 
What did you test the water for?

 

• We have tested water quality for over 200 regulated and unregulated Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs) and Inorganic Compounds (IOCs). 

Why haven’t you shared the results?

 

• No contaminants were detected above their respective maximum contaminant level (MCL). If there was an exceedance, per NJDEP regulations, we would have been required to notify customers. 

​​

Are you testing for alpha-pinene and what are the results?

​

• Alpha-pinene was detectable in the container that leaked from the repackaging facility, but once it entered the river it was diluted significantly.

• While the presence of alpha-pinene can still potentially be identified by its odor, the compound has not been detected using advanced analytical chemistry testing in the finished water leaving our treatment facilities or in the water distribution system.

​

Is there more information about the leak and the testing results in the river?

• Due to the ongoing investigation, contact the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at 609-292-5550 or email watersupply@dep.nj.gov.

Can you test my water?

 

• We do not provide individual home testing. We are sampling at 49 locations in source water, throughout our treatment process, and various points throughout our distribution system across the potentially impacted municipalities. Our sample locations are representative of where the taste and odor issues are occurring. 

Are you providing bottled water?

 

• No, we are not providing bottled water, as the treated water from our plants meets all state and federal drinking water quality standards, and no risk to public health has been identified by the NJ DEP.

Who can I contact if I have health concerns about this?

 

• If you are concerned about your personal health, please consult your health care provider.

What towns are impacted?

 

• Bedminster, Belle Mead, Berkeley Heights, Bernards Township, Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Branchburg, Chester, Clark, Cranbury, Cranford, Dunellen, Edison, Fanwood, Far Hills, Flagtown, Flemington, Franklin Township, Garwood, Gladstone, Green Brook, Hightstown, Hillsborough, Hillside, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Jamesburg, Kenilworth, Kingston, Lawrence, Linden, Long Hill Township, Manville, Martinsville, Middlesex, Millstone, Monroe Township, Montgomery, Mountainside, Neshanic Station, New Providence, North Plainfield, Peapack, Piscataway, Plainfield, Plainsboro, Pottersville, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Raritan Borough, Raritan Township, Readington, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Somerset, Somerville, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, South Bound Brook, Summit, Tewksbury, Three Bridges, Union, Vauxhall, Warren, Watchung, West Windsor, Westfield, Whitehouse and Whitehouse Station.