Hamilton mayor calls on NJDEP to take over operations of Trenton Water Works

Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin issued a statement Thursday calling on the state to take over control of the operations at the Trenton Water Works, a city-owned agency that provides water to more than 217,000 customers in Trenton, Lawrence, Hopewell, Ewing, and Hamilton.

Martin’s statement comes a week after the city sent a letter to customers informing them that a Trenton Water Works employee falsified water testing data. Between October 2022 and the end of 2023, the employee falsified required testing data for pH, iron, manganese, and contaminants such as coliform and E. coli, according to a Nov. 27 letter sent to water users.

The employee was placed on leave and later fired after an NJDEP investigation determined that the majority of samples recorded by the worker were false.

“What this latest screw-up makes abundantly clear is that NJDEP must take away control and operations of Trenton Water Works (TWW) from the City of Trenton,” Martin said in his statement. “Too many promises have been broken, and the health of too many is in the balance to trust the city can operate TWW. Even with the assistance of NJDEP and other professionals, failure strikes again and again.”

Another NJDEP report on the Trenton Water Works will likely be issued in early 2025. Martin said he expects the report will expose even more systemic negligence at the Trenton Water Works.

“It will be well past the time for every government, business, and community leader to call for immediate change of operational control,” Martin said. “Silence or passive statements when lives are at stake will no longer be an option.”

The Jersey Vindicator on Wednesday published a story by investigative reporter Jeff Pillets about ongoing problems at Trenton Water Works. Pillets reported that a federal criminal investigation into Newark’s lead pipe replacement program has expanded to Trenton, where a similar multimillion-dollar project to replace 32,000 lead service lines is underway.

Crews from Trenton’s water utility and the NJDEP are reexamining thousands of valves and lead service lines reportedly replaced by the same contractor who was recently charged with fraud for falsifying lead replacement work in Newark.