#United States #New Jersey #Water Treatment #New Jersey American Water #maintenance program

New Jersey American Water Announces Temporary Treatment Change

As part of its annual maintenance routine, New Jersey American Water is set to modify its water treatment process. Beginning the week of February 9, 2026, the water treatment plants in Raritan-Millstone (Bridgewater) and Canal Road (Somerset) will switch from chloramine to free chlorine. This change affects customers in several counties including Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union.

Importance of the Change

Andrea Castro, the Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance at New Jersey American Water, assures residents that this scheduled change is a standard water treatment practice. "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," she noted. These standardized measures are implemented to maintain exceptional water quality and safety standards across the distribution system.

The temporary shift will continue until the end of April 2026, during which some customers may detect a slight chlorine taste and smell in their water. Castro emphasizes that this is normal and temporary. To alleviate the chlorine flavor, customers can simply store their tap water in an uncovered container in the refrigerator overnight, allowing time for the chlorine levels to dissipate naturally.

Areas Affected

The temporary water treatment change applies to several specific communities serviced by New Jersey American Water:

• - 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: Bedminster 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 Gladstone Borough, Raritan Borough, Rocky Hill, Somerville Borough, South Bound Brook Borough, Warren Township, and Watchung Borough
• - Union County: Berkley Heights Township, City of Rahway, Clark Township, Cranford Township, City of Elizabeth, 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

Commitment to Quality

Throughout this maintenance period, New Jersey American Water is dedicated to closely monitoring the water quality to ensure it meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards. The utility company has employed chloramines in its treatment processes since the 1970s, a method designed to consistently deliver clean and safe drinking water to its consumers.

To learn more about New Jersey American Water, visit their official website for additional information regarding water quality and service updates. The company remains committed to serving approximately 2.9 million residents across New Jersey, ensuring that safe and reliable water continues to flow from their taps.