New Jersey American Water Announces Over Half-Billion in Infrastructure Upgrades in 2023

In a substantial statewide initiative, the utility invested in system enhancements to ensure continued high-quality water service.

In a significant announcement on February 26, 2024, New Jersey American Water disclosed that it had allocated more than $507 million towards system improvements across its service territories in New Jersey throughout 2023. This investment underscores the utility's effort to modernize infrastructure, focusing on the maintenance and enhancement of water and wastewater services that meet regulatory standards while aiming to provide reliable, safe, and affordable service.

Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, highlighted the company's dedication to investing in the state's water infrastructure. “This year’s wide-ranging system improvements reflect our commitment to making prudent investments to continue the delivery of safe, affordable and reliable water and wastewater service to customers,” McDonough stated. He emphasized the team's hard work in maintaining and operating facilities to ensure efficiency, compliance with regulatory standards, and high-quality service delivery.

The funding has been directed towards several critical areas within the utility's infrastructure, including the maintenance and upgrade of treatment and distribution systems, which encompass treatment plants, storage tanks, pump stations, pipelines, water mains, fire hydrants, and metering equipment.

Key projects undertaken in 2023 included significant investments in mains, with $175 million spent on installing, replacing, or rehabilitating more than 91 miles of pipeline. These enhancements are aimed at improving water quality, pressure, fire protection, and overall service reliability. Additionally, the utility invested around $2.76 million in advanced leak detection equipment to better respond to leaks and breaks, further emphasizing its commitment to maintaining system integrity.

The utility also made considerable investments in source water, treatment, and other production system improvements, totaling over $28 million. Notable upgrades were made at the Jumping Brook Water Treatment Plant, Canal Road Water Treatment Plant, and Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plant, focusing on treatment enhancements and infrastructure rehabilitation.

In terms of fire safety, New Jersey American Water replaced 458 fire hydrants and 1,723 valves, investing approximately $17.8 million to enhance community safety and infrastructure resilience. The company also replaced 13,776 service lines, amounting to an $87.8 million investment aimed at improving service delivery to its customers.

Storage capacity and integrity were also addressed, with the rehabilitation of five tanks and detailed inspections of 40 tanks, representing a $10.1 million investment. These efforts are part of New Jersey American Water's broader strategy to accelerate the renewal of aging water infrastructure across more than 100 communities in the state.

For more information on these initiatives and their impact on New Jersey's water infrastructure, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com.

This comprehensive investment in New Jersey's water infrastructure by New Jersey American Water in 2023 reflects the utility's ongoing commitment to ensuring the provision of essential water services across the state, emphasizing the importance of modernizing facilities to meet current and future needs while upholding safety and quality standards.