Well 7 to be Closed While Moorestown Enacts Temporary Water Solution

Moorestown, NJ --One of the contaminated water wells at the North Church Street Treatment Plant will be shut down while the township enacts a temporary solution to eliminate Trichloropropane (TCP 1,2,3) and Trichlorethylene (TCE) that has been found in the township’s drinking water, Moorestown Mayor Phil Garwood announced on Friday.

The solution was first announced during a special meeting at town hall on Feb. 10. The township will continue to explore a permanent solution.

“Our engineers have been able to shorten the time frame of installing an interim filtration/treatment plant that will eliminate Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds from our water supply while the new permanent plant is being built,” Garwood said in the statement. “In preparation for the installation of the interim system, Well 7 at the North Church plant will need to be shut down. I have consulted individually with my fellow Council members and they unanimously agreed this the smartest course of action. Therefore, I have asked our town manager to have that well shut down so that the interim system can be installed in the next month or so. We will be purchasing our water from NJ American until the interim system comes on line.”

The project calls for equipment to be put on site by a tractor trailer. Electrical piping would intercept the water either before it was treated or after and remove any traces of TCP 1,2,3 or TCE. The township can use the utility surplus to handle the cost, which can range from $70,000-$100,000 up front, and a $10,000-$15,000 a month rental fee.

“The bottom line is that our water supply is safe, but our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repairs and upgrades to ensure the highest quality water in Moorestown for generations to come,” Garwood said. “ ... In the coming months, you will begin to see streets opened and century old water mains being replaced with bigger pipes made of modern materials to deliver the highest-quality water to your homes for many years to come. This Council will accomplish all of the utility improvements while keeping your water rate stable – and less than half of what neighboring towns are charged by NJ American.”

A ”Water Update” is scheduled to take place during Monday night’s council meeting at town hall, 7 p.m. It will take place during the workshop portion of the meeting.

Earlier in the day, the Moorestown Water Group has said it will hold a “Clean Water Rally” outside town hall prior to the meeting, at 6:45 p.m.

On Monday night, council will also hold a public hearing and give final consideration to a proposed ordinance that sets aside $160,000 and borrow $152,000 to be used for the demolition of the old library building, which had an abnormal amount of asbestos.

Council will introduce an ordinance that extends the amount of time a pawn dealer has to make a piece of property sold to them by a member of the public available for inspection from 3 to 10 days, in accordance with state law.

Currently, the property must remain unchanged for three days following the purchase, but the dealer may ask to have that timeframe changed if they provide the property to police for inspection and documentation first, according to township code.

The seller’s personal information is procured by the dealer at the time of the sale and entered into an electronic database designated by the Director of Police within 48 hours.

To view the full agenda, visit the Agenda Center on moorestown.nj.us.