VOORHEES, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Jersey American Water is providing details about its inaugural submission of compliance with the state’s new Water Quality Accountability Act, submitted to the state in October 2018.
“We are pleased to report that all New Jersey American Water systems that meet the criteria for the standards set by the new Water Quality Accountability Act are in compliance,” said Deb Degillio, president of New Jersey American Water. “Our teams of water quality, plant operations, and water distribution professionals work hard to ensure the treatment and delivery of water service to the more than 2.7 million people we serve across the state, and these results are a testament to our employees’ dedication to excellence.”
Passed into law in July 2017, the Water Quality Accountability Act is aimed at enhancing the reliability and safety of drinking water from every water provider in the state. With a focus on accountability and transparency, this law establishes statewide standards for investment into water systems with more than 500 service connections for all water purveyors that is consistent with industry best practices. As part of the certification, the highest level of the company or if a municipality, the Mayor or MUA Executive Director must sign off on the submissions.
Upon its passing, New Jersey American Water was already in compliance with many of the requirements of the law, and the company conducted an extensive internal auditing process to properly document and further ensure compliance and also to establish a robust process for reporting its compliance each year. Additionally, all certifications were further supported by the inspection results of the annual New Jersey Department of Environment Protection Water Supply Sanitary Survey.
“New Jersey American Water ensures compliance with the certification criteria by leveraging electronic work management systems, strong work practices and skilled employees to achieve superior safety and efficiency standards. This reinforces our commitment to the safe and reliable delivery of quality water service to all of our customers around the state,” said Degillio.
As reflected in the certification submissions, New Jersey American Water is compliant in the following areas, as required by the Department of Environmental Protection – Division of Water Supply & Geoscience:
- Federal and New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Regulations
- Licensing of Water Supply and Wastewater Operators
- Water Supply Allocation Permits
-
Water Quality Accountability Act Provisions due in October 2018 as
follows:
- Hydrant & Valve Maintenance: New Jersey American Water has routinely inspected and maintained valves and fire hydrants throughout its systems.
- Violations & Mitigation: New Jersey American Water has no systems with a Notice of Violation (NOV) that requires a mitigation plan.
- Infrastructure Improvement Investment: New Jersey American Water completes regular long-term comprehensive planning studies that drive its capital investments. The company has a long track record of planning and managing needed system improvements. Each one of the individual systems as identified is on track with completion of an updated Asset Management Plan as required by the WQAA, by April of 2019.
New Jersey American Water invests more than $350 million annually – about a million dollars a day - into its systems to ensure quality and reliability. The company has a robust asset management plan that includes about a 90- to 100-year pipe replacement rate annually.
More information about New Jersey American Water’s compliance with the Water Quality Accountability Act is available at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under Water Quality.
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. More information can be found at www.newjerseyamwater.com. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 45 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing.
