Building a better Trenton Water Works

When people turn on the tap, they expect something simple: clean, reliable drinking water.

For the families and businesses served by Trenton Water Works, that expectation rests on more than two centuries of public infrastructure and public trust. Meeting that responsibility today requires major investment, transparency, and a clear plan for the future.

Trenton Water Works began service in 1804 with a single public fountain, wooden trunks, and pipes. The City of Trenton purchased the system in 1859. Since then, the utility has become an essential part of Trenton’s history, a cornerstone of public health, and an important pillar of economic development for our region.

Today, Trenton Water Works operates a large and complex public water system with significant facilities. Its infrastructure includes a water filtration plant built in the 1950s, a central pumping station constructed in 1957, and an open finished-water reservoir in service since 1899. The system also includes 683 miles of water main, elevated storage tanks, booster stations, and interconnections with neighboring water systems. While the system remains fundamentally sound, continued investment is essential to ensure it can reliably produce high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Every day, Trenton Water Works delivers millions of gallons of drinking water through hundreds of miles of pipe to homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses throughout its service area.

Over the next ten years, Trenton Water Works will invest $763 million through its Capital Improvement Plan to modernize critical infrastructure and strengthen the system for the future. This includes investments in facilities, the distribution system, equipment, and personnel needed to operate a modern public water utility.

A major component of this plan is replacing the historic Pennington Avenue Reservoir, which has served the system for more than 125 years. The state had previously advised that storing all finished drinking water in a single location posed an unnecessary risk to the region’s water supply. In response, Trenton Water Works will decentralize finished-water storage by constructing six multi-million-gallon storage tanks in the service municipalities, along with a new central pumping station to facilitate distribution.

Trenton Water Works has already made important progress upgrading its water filtration plant. Over the last eight years, the utility has completed millions of dollars in improvements, including replacing the raw water intake, enhancing filtration processes, and upgrading control systems.

The Capital Improvement Plan also includes replacing aging water mains and valves. Many of these pipes are exceptionally old, with some sections dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Newer water mains will also be cleaned and lined to remove tuberculation — iron buildup inside pipes that can reduce water pressure and occasionally cause discoloration.

Another major priority is removing lead service lines. Trenton Water Works will invest $175 million to remove more than 20,000 lead service lines throughout the system, including those serving private homes. To protect public health and ensure broad participation, the program remains both free and mandatory. Since launching the initiative in 2020, Trenton Water Works has already removed more than 10,000 lead service lines.

In 2019, the utility also implemented a corrosion control program using zinc orthophosphate — an FDA-approved food additive — to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water by forming a protective coating inside pipes where lead service lines remain. It is important to understand that water leaving the Trenton Water Works filtration plant is lead-free. Lead contamination occurs at the tap when water passes through lead service lines or household plumbing, which is why corrosion control and lead service line removal are both essential.

To improve daily operations and reduce long-term maintenance costs, Trenton Water Works will also replace its aging fleet of vehicles and heavy equipment. Newer backhoes, dump trucks, fleet vans, and other specialized field vehicles will improve operational efficiency, reduce costly downtime, and enhance employee safety.

Additional funding has been allocated for professional services, including engineering, project management, and public health expertise. Like other public water utilities, Trenton Water Works relies on specialized engineering support to help design major infrastructure projects, oversee construction, and ensure regulatory compliance. In response to growing national concerns about Legionella, the utility will also retain nationally recognized disease experts to support continued public health protections.

These investments will be funded primarily through low-interest loans from state revolving loan programs, municipal bonds, and available state and federal grants. This includes financing through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, which in some cases offers principal forgiveness when projects meet established benchmarks. To date, Trenton Water Works has secured more than $78 million in Infrastructure Bank financing for lead service line removal and approximately $20 million to transition to “smart meters,” improving efficiency and customer service.

Additional revenue from water rates will be necessary to support these investments and ensure the utility can recruit and retain qualified personnel. Following a comprehensive rate study and public engagement process, the Trenton City Council approved modest rate adjustments beginning July 1, 2026. For most households, the increase will amount to about $5.28 per quarter.

My administration, together with the leadership, licensed operators, and employees of Trenton Water Works, is implementing the most significant modernization of the system in decades. Working closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which continues to maintain expanded oversight of TWW operations, we are making meaningful improvements that will strengthen the system and improve reliability.

This work is essential to protecting public health and strengthening the infrastructure our communities depend on every day.

The work ahead is significant, but it is already underway. With sustained investment and responsible management, we are strengthening Trenton Water Works and improving the reliability of the system our communities depend on every day.

W. Reed Gusciora is the 49th mayor of the City of Trenton.