Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora has made it clear that he strongly supports the city retaining ownership of the troubled water utility – Trenton Water Works (TWW).
In a statement earlier this month on May 12, he called the water utility one of the city’s greatest assets that is owned by the residents and said the utility’s future must reflect the best interest of those it serves.
“I strongly support Trenton retaining ownership of TWW,” Gusciora said. “While we all acknowledge that decades of underinvestment and past inaction have raised concerns about Trenton’s stewardship, we have made meaningful progress in reversing those trends.
“Under our administration, we have worked in good faith with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and our neighboring municipalities—Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence, and Hopewell Townships—to improve water quality, enhance operations, and invest in essential infrastructure.”
They have accelerated lead service line replacements, improved billing systems, and rebuilt technical capacity with more qualified personnel, Gusciora noted.
His statement of support comes more than three months after a joint statement by mayors of TWW serviced townships called for the creation of an independent public regional water utility to run the water system.
Gusciora, Hopewell Township Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Lawrence Township Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer, Hamilton Township Mayor Jeff Martin and Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann were attached to the joint statement, which was released on Jan. 27.
“My position has not changed,” Peters-Manning said in a statement. “There are now more customers outside of Trenton who are served by Trenton Water Works than customers who live in Trenton. It is only fair that those voices are represented in the governance of a critical public utility. Everyone deserves safe and clean drinking water.”
The TWW system provides water to more than 200,000 residents in Trenton, parts of Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Ewing and Hamilton. As a water utility, it treats and provides drinking water from water taken out of the Delaware River.
TWW has a 683-mile water distribution system and is owned by the city of Trenton. In 2022, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) had to step in and oversee the operations of TWW after the utility had failed to address issues and conditions with providing safe drinking water for customers.
Gusciora acknowledged in his statement that the system still faces significant challenges such as state oversight NJDEP and litigation from municipalities receiving service from TWW.
“We are conducting a comprehensive rate study to determine a fair pricing structure that prepares TWW for nearly $1 billion in capital upgrades over the next decade,” he said. “These projects are expensive but necessary, and will require coordinated investment, regional cooperation, and a serious commitment to future generations—not political posturing.
“The city will work cooperatively with NJDEP to study the feasibility of a regional authority—not because we are resigning ourselves to it, but because we must explore every option that secures the long-term health of the utility and protects the interests of Trenton residents.”
Should the surrounding municipalities want to pursue ownership of the system in any form they must come to the table and declare what they are willing to pay, Gusciora said.
“Anything less would shortchange the residents of Trenton,” he said. “Trenton Water Works is more than pipes and pumps—it is part of Trenton’s identity, and it is our responsibility to decide its future.”
His statement of support also came as New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on May 12 that a former employee of TWW had been indicted for allegedly failing to collect water samples and falsifying water reports.
Cesar Lugo, 37, of Trenton, was charged with two counts of official misconduct, theft by deception, violating the Safe Drinking Water Act, tampering with public records, and falsifying records.
