New Brunswick's Water Supply: City Or Well?

The City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, provides clean drinking water to its residents and the surrounding communities. The City Department of Water Utility manages water emergencies, distribution, treatment, billing, and meter reading. The water supplied by New Brunswick has received an above-average grade for quality, with lower levels of contaminants compared to other cities. The town of Brunswick, New York, also has a Water and Sewer Department that maintains water and sewer services for its residents. Additionally, the Township of North Brunswick offers an online portal for its residents to manage their water accounts.

New Brunswick, New Jersey's water sources

The City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, provides water for approximately 55,000 residents. The City Department of Water Utility manages water emergencies, distribution, treatment, billing, and meter reading. The department also provides water to surrounding communities.

The New Brunswick Water Department was established in 1736 and currently obtains its water supply from a combination of surface water sources from two locations: Weston's Mill Pond, which is fed by the Lawrence Brook, and the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires the New Brunswick Water Department to assess local water quality each year and distribute a Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report. WaterZen reviews these reports and makes the information available in a concise and easy-to-understand way. According to WaterZen, New Brunswick Water received an above-average grade as the amounts of contaminants found in the water supply were lower than most other water providers.

The Town of North Brunswick, which is a different municipality, offers an online portal for its residents to manage their water accounts. This portal allows residents to track their water usage, set up alerts for high water usage, view current and past bills, and go paperless with e-billing.

Water quality and testing

Water quality in New Brunswick has been a concern for quite some time, especially with the threat of water quality deterioration due to hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The quality of drinking water in the province has received a lot of attention, and several reviews have called for the collection of baseline water quality data to assess any adverse impacts of fracking. However, water quality issues in New Brunswick pre-date fracking, as many municipalities and industries historically dumped sewage and processing waste into the St. John/Wolastoqey River with little to no treatment.

The safety of groundwater, especially in rural areas, is a significant concern, given the estimated 100,000 private water wells in the province. Bacterial contamination, groundwater chemistry, methane in groundwater, and leachate from regional landfills are all issues that need to be addressed.

Extensive bacteriological testing of water samples from private wells in New Brunswick was conducted in 2006 and 2007, with 35.6% of the wells sampled contaminated with total coliform bacteria and 4.4% contaminated with E. coli bacteria. More recent data from watershed quality reports suggest that more work needs to be done to address this problem, as some areas still show detectable levels of E. coli.

Groundwater chemistry is another area of concern, with elevated levels of arsenic, manganese, sodium, fluoride, iron, lead, and chloride found in some wells. Uranium, a radioactive element, was found to exceed acceptable levels in 2% of wells sampled, which is a potential health hazard.

Methane in groundwater, while not considered a significant health risk when ingested, can cause objectionable odours. Baseline surveys in Nova Scotia found methane in about 15-20% of groundwater samples, while only a few studies have been conducted in New Brunswick.

Leachate from regional landfills is also a potential source of water contamination. While leach pits are designed to collect and treat materials before they flow into local aquifers, the effectiveness of these measures needs to be monitored to ensure the safety of groundwater used for drinking.

To address these issues, private well owners are encouraged to test their water regularly, ideally twice a year, to ensure it is free of bacteria and other contaminants. Companies such as Aztech Laboratory Inc. and Culligan offer water testing services in New Brunswick, with a focus on potability testing and identifying minerals and contaminants in the water.

The provincial government has also taken steps to improve water quality, with the release of the first state of surface water quality report in 2019, which showed good conditions with some signs of problems related to development, agriculture, forestry, and nutrient runoff. The report compiled results of monitoring tests from 2003 to 2016 and indicated that surface water quality had improved over the years.

In addition, New Brunswick uses a multi-barrier approach to protect drinking water sources, and local governments work closely with the provincial government to protect groundwater wells and surface watersheds under the Clean Water Act. Drinking water systems owned and operated by local governments are required to sample their water according to the standards outlined in the province's Drinking Water Guidelines.

Water emergencies

The City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, provides water for about 55,000 residents. The New Brunswick Water Department obtains its supply from a combination of surface water sources from two locations: Weston's Mill Pond, which is fed by the Lawrence Brook, and the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

The Water Utility manages water emergencies, distribution, treatment, billing and meter reading. If you have a water emergency in New Brunswick, you can call the 24-hour emergency number: 732-745-5103.

If you are a resident of Brunswick, Ohio, and have a utility emergency or outage, you can call the Brunswick Department of Service and Streets on 330-558-6804.

For those in Brunswick, New York, the Water and Sewer Department is responsible for water, sewer, and the Stormwater (MS4) Program. If you have a water or sewer emergency after 4:00 pm, dial 270-5555 and the Rensselaer County 911 Dispatcher will contact the appropriate personnel to respond.

In North Brunswick, the town offers an online portal for managing your water account. For water emergencies and treatment plant issues, you can call (732) 297-3739.

South Brunswick Township Utilities provide water and sewer services to South Brunswick residents and the franchise areas of Franklin, Plainsboro, North Brunswick, Monroe, and Cranbury Townships. For after-hours water emergencies, contact the Police Department at (732)-329-4646.

Water billing and payments

The City of New Brunswick has implemented a PIN system for water/sewer utility bills, aiding in account identification and online bill payment.

The Township of North Brunswick offers an online portal for water account management, allowing residents to track water usage, set up high water usage alerts, view current and past bills, and go paperless with e-billing. Water/sewer billing payments can be made online, in-person, or via drop boxes at designated locations.

In South Brunswick, the Water & Sewer Revenue Division manages the financial operations of the Utilities Department, billing, and revenue collection. Residents can enrol in the free ACH Direct Debit Plan for water and sewer payments, with payments debited directly from their bank accounts quarterly. South Brunswick also provides information on state assistance programs such as the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) for those facing financial difficulties.

Brunswick County, North Carolina, offers multiple payment options for water and sewer bills, including in-person payments, online payments through the customer portal, automatic bank drafting, and payments by mail or dropbox.

Water treatment and distribution

Water Sources

The sources of water in New Brunswick vary depending on the region. Some areas, such as North Brunswick, rely on surface water sources like the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which is primarily fed by the Delaware River. On the other hand, regions like Saint John in New Brunswick draw water from groundwater sources, including aquifers and watersheds. These aquifers and watersheds provide a clean source of potable water that requires minimal treatment.

Water Treatment Processes

The treatment process aims to ensure water quality and safety. Different treatment techniques are employed depending on the water source. For instance, in Saint John, groundwater aquifers are treated with sodium hypochlorite as a means of disinfection to maintain clean water. Additionally, orthophosphate is used in the South Bay Wellfield treatment system to manage corrosion within the distribution system.

In Brunswick County, the local water company, H2GO, has invested in a reverse osmosis treatment plant. This plant uses underground aquifers as its water source, ensuring contaminant-free water. The reverse osmosis process removes salts and other impurities, resulting in high-quality drinking water.

Water Quality Testing

Maintaining water quality is a critical aspect of the water treatment and distribution process. Entities like Saint John Water conduct comprehensive water quality testing to ensure the health and safety of the public. They test for various parameters, exceeding the legal requirements, and sample water at multiple stages, from the raw source to various points in the distribution system.

Distribution and Supply

Once the water is treated, it is distributed to residents through a network of pipes. The distribution system ensures that treated water reaches homes, businesses, and communities. The local government and water companies manage the supply, ensuring that water is delivered efficiently and reliably to their customers.

Billing and Customer Service

Water utilities in New Brunswick handle billing and customer service. Residents can expect to receive bills for their water and sewerage services, with rates set by the local council or government to recover operating and capital costs. These entities also manage water emergencies, meter reading, and customer inquiries.

In conclusion, water treatment and distribution in New Brunswick involve a collaborative effort between government agencies, private companies, and dedicated professionals. By utilising various water sources, advanced treatment processes, rigorous testing, and efficient distribution systems, the region ensures that its residents have access to safe and clean drinking water, meeting the high standards set by health authorities.

Frequently asked questions