Oct 31, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

New Jersey American Water Certifies Its Compliance With New Water Quality Accountability Act

New Jersey American Water is providing details about its required submission of compliance with the state’s Water Quality Accountability Act, submitted to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) – Division of Water Supply & Geoscience on October 18, 2019. Once again, the company is fully compliant with each requirement of the law.

“We are pleased to report that all New Jersey American Water systems that meet the criteria for the standards set by the Water Quality Accountability Act are in compliance,” said Cheryl Norton, president of New Jersey American Water. “Our more than 800 employees, including 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 their dedication to excellence.”

Passed into law in July 2017, the Water Quality Accountability Act established requirements for public water systems to improve the safety, reliability, and administrative oversight of their water systems. 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 Municipal Utility Authority 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. The company conducts extensive internal auditing quarterly to further ensure compliance, tracks progress with work management systems and also established a certification process involving licensed operators and the management team responsible for the systems. Additionally, all certifications were further supported by the various routine inspections conducted annually by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“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 Norton.

As reflected in the certification submissions, New Jersey American Water is compliant in the following areas, as required by the NJ DEP – 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 2019 as follows:
    • Hydrant & Valve Maintenance: New Jersey American Water has routinely inspected and maintained valves and all fire hydrants throughout its systems statewide.
    • Cybersecurity: New Jersey American Water has a robust cybersecurity program and has submitted it in accordance with the requirements of the law.
    • Violations & Mitigation: New Jersey American Water has no systems with a Notice of Violation (NOV) that require 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, and there is a statewide asset management plan for the systems included in this law.

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, which is well above the Water Quality Accountability Act’s suggested 150-year rate.

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 (NYSE: AWK), 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. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water 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 more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.