A damning new report released Monday about mismanagement of the water department in New Jersey’s capital is prompting a new push for the city of Trenton to cede control of one of the state’s largest water systems.
For decades there have been warnings about Trenton Water Works, which supplies water to nearly a quarter-million people in the city and suburbs. A list of violations over the past two decades runs more than 130 pages, and two years ago state officials moved to tighten oversight on the heels of a water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.
The new report shows the depth of the problems, prompting even Trenton’s mayor to accept a change is needed that gives up some control. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and a top Assembly lawmaker have been involved in discussions about creating a regional utility that gives the suburbs more control over the water system.
The Department of Environmental Protection on Monday released a pair of reports on the water department. The state-funded reports come following months of investigation and interviews by consulting firms and delve into problems that are even deeper than state officials realized.
