The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
A Branchburg company has been issued a notice of violation by state environmental officials for a chemical leak into a tributary of the Raritan River that affected water used by Franklin Township customers of NJ American Water Company.
The December 16 leak caused a discoloration and odor in the water used by NJAW customers, although, officials said, there was no health risk in drinking the water.
The company, M&U International, is a company that repackages fragrances, essential oils, and flavorings at a facility that is located within the watershed and upstream of NJAW’s surface water intake, according to a statement from the DEP’s Division of Water Supply and Geoscience.
The leak involved compounds including alpha-pinene, the odor of which can be detected at very low levels, according to the statement.
“While the odor may be unpleasant, water quality testing has shown that no public health risk has been identified,” the statement read.
New Jersey American Water said in a statement that it will continue to monitor water quality in the Raritan system.
“New Jersey American Water continues to monitor water quality and laboratory testing indicates that the water leaving New Jersey American Water’s two Raritan system treatment plants meets state and federal primary drinking water standards established by NJ DEP and US EPA and does not pose a public health risk,” according to the statement.
“Providing safe drinking water to our customers is our foremost priority,” Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, said in the release. “Since Tuesday, Dec. 17, our teams have worked tirelessly, collecting hundreds of water quality samples around the clock throughout our system to help address the cause of the changes in taste and odor. Our proactive measures to adjust our treatment process and flush our system have allowed us to continue to provide water to our customers that meets state and federal drinking water quality standards, despite these challenges.”
“We are grateful to the NJ DEP for their collaboration and diligence in investigating the cause of this issue that has resulted in both of our teams working around the clock and our customers concerned about the safety of the water,” McDonough said in the statement. “We understand our customers’ frustration, and we look forward to the prompt resolution of this problem.”
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