MAJOR UPGRADES COMPLETED AT THE NEWARK-PEQUANNOCK WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Newark and North Jersey residents will benefit from a $20.5 million upgrade to the Newark-Pequannock Water Treatment Plant, a major step in improving regional water quality.

The state-of-the-art investment includes new filters and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that optimizes control, operation, and real-time monitoring of water quality. Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark Water & Sewer Utilities Director Kareem Adeem, and other officials cut the ribbon Wednesday to celebrate the project's completion.

Located in West Milford near the Charlotteburg Reservoir, the plant supplies drinking water to nearly 400,000 residents across North Jersey. It can now treat up to 60 million gallons per day, marking the most significant upgrade since its construction in 1989.

The project was financed through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB). Executive Director David Zimmer explained that the final loan amount of $22.84 million includes fees and additional expenses. With NJIB's 0% interest financing, Newark ratepayers will save over $7.5 million over 30 years.

"Under Mayor Baraka, the city continues to invest in safe drinking water and maximize use of available funding," Zimmer said. The Baraka administration has directed nearly $400 million into Newark's water and sewer infrastructure, in addition to the landmark $195 million Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

This fall, Newark will begin designing two additional filters to build system redundancy and ensure resiliency. In emergencies, these added filters could boost capacity to more than 70 million gallons per day.

Standing in the upgraded plant's laboratory, Superintendent Kevin Greer summed it up: "We test for stability, color, pH, and chlorine residuals around the clock."

With these upgrades, Newark is positioning itself at the forefront of resilient, future-ready water infrastructure for the region.