New Jersey American Water continues to work closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) to manage the impacts of a leak that occurred on Dec. 16, 2024, from a repackagi

New Jersey American Water continues to work closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) to manage the impacts of a leak that occurred on Dec. 16, 2024, from a repackaging facility in Branchburg, N.J. into a tributary of the Raritan River. According to the NJ DEP, the material of the spill consisted of compounds, most notably alpha-pinene, which are commonly used as fragrance and food additives.New Jersey American Water is continuing to collect sampling results, modify our treatment process and perform targeted hydrant flushing. As of Dec. 26, the company has observed no odor detections in the source water or in the water leaving its treatment plants. We are also continuing to coordinate with the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, which has been releasing additional source water into the river. As the DEP continues to direct remediation efforts at the leak site and in anticipation of expected precipitation this weekend, New Jersey American Water will continue its monitoring, flushing and treatment efforts. As a reminder, while the presence of alpha-pinene may still potentially be identified by its odor, the compound has not been detected using advanced analytical chemistry testing in the finished water leaving our treatment facilities or in the water distribution system. The water leaving New Jersey American Water’s two Raritan system treatment plants meets state and federal primary drinking water standards established by NJ DEP and US EPA, and no risk to public health has been identified by the NJ DEP.We will keep working with the NJ DEP until this issue is resolved. We appreciate our customers’ continued patience, cooperation, and trust. As additional information becomes available, the company will provide updates at njamwaterwaterquality.com.