Trenton Water Works has issued a mandatory water conservation notice, urging all customers and residents in its service area to limit nonessential water usage.
This call for conservation comes as New Jersey grapples with historically low precipitation, elevated temperatures, and worsening water supply conditions.
TWW, which serves Trenton, Ewing, Lawrence, Hamilton and Hopewell townships, relies on the Delaware River as its primary water source. The utility aims to mitigate the impact of current challenging conditions on local water reserves.
On Nov. 13, the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection declared a drought warning across the state, a measure designed to protect and balance water supplies and avert potential shortages.
Michael Walker, chief of communications and public outreach for Trenton’s Department of Water and Sewer, which operates TWW, emphasized the importance of water conservation in light of the state’s current drought.
“We are asking all customers and service-area residents to eliminate all nonessential water use until the state rescinds the conservation notice,” Walker said.
To aid in the effort, TWW has outlined several water-saving practices for both indoor and outdoor activities:
Suspending the watering of outdoor plants;Winterizing irrigation systems to prevent leaks; and Washing cars at commercial car washes that recycle water.
Indoor guidelines include:
Turning off the tap while brushing teeth;Running dishwashers and clothes washers only when fully loaded; andTaking shorter showers to reduce water use.
Walker noted that following these guidelines can significantly impact the community’s overall water supply.
“TWW will continue to monitor Delaware River water levels, including the Pennington Avenue Reservoir, and follow recommendations from state agencies as the drought progresses,” he added.
As New Jersey’s drought conditions persist, TWW’s conservation efforts are critical to maintaining a stable water supply. Operating as a city-owned public water system, TWW provides around 30 million gallons of drinking water daily to the region.
The system draws and treats water from the Delaware River through an extensive infrastructure, including a 60 million-gallon-per-day filtration plant, the 100-million-gallon Pennington Avenue Reservoir, three pump stations, and 683 miles of water mains.
