NJ residents alarmed by water smell, but relief is coming

💧 NJ American Water customers noticed unusual chlorine taste and smell
🔄 The utility switched from chloramine to chlorine for routine maintenance
✅ Normal taste and odor should return soon

If you’re a New Jersey American Water customer and your water has smelled and tasted weird, don’t worry. All that should dissipate the week of April 20, when the utility resumes its normal treatment process at its two water treatment plants.

Why NJ tap water smells like chlorine right now

In mid-February, as part of an annual routine maintenance program, New Jersey American Water temporarily shifted its water treatment process from using chloramine — a disinfectant of chlorine and ammonia, commonly used by water utilities to treat drinking water, to chlorine for 10 weeks at its Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Bridgewater and its Canal Road Water Treatment Plant in Somerset.

As a result, some New Jersey American Water customers in Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties may have noticed a slight chlorine taste and smell in their water.

When NJ water will return to normal taste and smell

Good news, folks. All that should subside starting the week of April 20, once chloramines are back.

Chloramines have long been an effective method of water disinfection that meets all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection drinking water standards. It’s also been used by New Jersey American Water since the 1970s.

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Which NJ towns are affected by the water treatment change

The treatment change applies to mostly customers in the following communities:

Essex County: Irvington

Hunterdon County: Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, Readington Township, and Tewksbury Township

Mercer County: Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton Borough, Princeton Junction, Princeton Township, Trenton, and West Windsor Township

Middlesex County: Cranbury Township, Dunellen Borough, Edison Township, Jamesburg Borough, Middlesex Borough, Monroe Township, North Brunswick, Piscataway Township, Plainsboro Township, South Brunswick Township, and South Plainfield Borough

Morris County: Chatham Township, Long Hill Township, Mendham Township, Mendham Borough

Somerset County: Bedminster Township, Bernards Township, Bernardsville Borough, Bound Brook Borough, Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township, Far Hills Borough, Franklin Township, Green Brook Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville Borough, Millstone Borough, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield Borough, Peapack & Gladstone Borough, Raritan Borough, Rocky Hill, Somerville Borough, South Bound Brook Borough, Warren Township and Watchung Borough

Union County: Berkley Heights Township, City of Rahway, Clark Township, Cranford Township, City of Elizabeth (Liberty), Fanwood Borough, Garwood Borough, Hillside Township, Kenilworth Borough, Linden City, Mountainside Borough, New Providence Borough, Plainfield City, Roselle Borough, Roselle Park Borough, Scotch Plains Township, Summit, Union Township, Westfield Township and Winfield Park Township

What chloramine is and why utilities use it in drinking water

For more information about the use of chloramine in water treatment, visit here.

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