Water company could have been 'more proactive'

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
New Jersey American Water could have done a better job of notifying the public about a problem with brown water last month, said Maplewood health officer Robert D. Roe.
His comments came after representatives of the utility spoke before the Township Committee, acting in its capacity as the local board of health. Roe said he felt the company could have been “more proactive.”
The water company explained the problem that occurred with the water, blamed on elevated levels of iron and manganese. While the issue never reached the level of a health emergency, Roe said he personally fielded 20 calls about it from members of the community.
“There never was any health hazard to the public during the event,” Roe said.
He suggested the company issue a press release explaining what happened and what will be done to prevent a repeat.
The utility used chemicals to treat the problem. It even had to obtain a special permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection to use a chemical called potassium permanganate, said Scott Brezinski, a water quality supervisor.
There were reported water issues in other towns the utility services, including parts of Millburn and West Orange.
Maplewood said the water company would notify the township sooner when there is a problem. The town then can decide how best to spread the information to the public, either through its reverse 9-1-1 system or on the municipal web site.
“I think they answered our questions,” Mayor Vic De Luca said afterward.
New Jersey American Water, serving about 2.5 million people in 17 New Jersey counties, will build a new water treatment facility in Millburn.
In February, the utility announced that the two-year, $72 million project should start this fall and finish by March 2012.
Philip Sean Curran can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 116, or at newsrecord@thelocalsource.com.