Leak At Repackaging Facility Cause Of Taste, Odor Issues In Water

SOMERSET/UNION COUNTY, NJ - A leak from a repackaging facility in Branchburg into a tributary of the Raritan River is found to be the cause of the taste and odor issues for New Jersey American Water customers.

"In a statement today, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) reported the initial results of its investigation, which attributes these changes to a leak that occurred on Dec. 16 from a repackaging facility in Branchburg into a tributary of the Raritan River. The facility repackages fragrances, essential oils, and flavorings, said New Jersey American Water in an update Monday.

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.

"Due to the fragrant nature of the compound, it can be smelled at minute concentrations measured in parts per trillion (ppt). For context, 1 ppt is equivalent to 4 drops of liquid in the amount of water that would fill Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium. Though detection levels of the compound are infinitesimal, customers may continue to notice the taste and odor over the next several days," said NJ American Water.

"We are grateful to the NJ DEP for their collaboration and diligence in investigating the cause of this issue that has resulted in both of our teams working around the clock and our customers concerned about the safety of the water,” said Mark McDonough, President, New Jersey American Water. “We understand our customers’ frustration, and we look forward to the prompt resolution of this problem.”

New Jersey American Water will continue to monitor water quality in cooperation with the NJ DEP.

"Providing safe drinking water to our customers is our foremost priority," said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. "Since Tuesday, Dec. 17, our teams have worked tirelessly, collecting hundreds of water quality samples around the clock throughout our system to help address the cause of the changes in taste and odor. Our proactive measures to adjust our treatment process and flush our system have allowed us to continue to provide water to our customers that meets state and federal drinking water quality standards, despite these challenges."

Any additional updates to customers will be provided through NJ American Water's customer notification system as well as a dedicated webpage for this issue, njamwaterwaterquality.com, which includes a form for customer inquiries.