NJDEP urges Trenton to explore regional water authority; council, residents push back

Trenton City Council held a special meeting Aug. 18 to hear New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Sean LaTourette outline the department's findings about Trenton Water Works and to answer questions from council members and residents.

LaTourette told the council the DEP had concluded, based on multiple independent assessments, that Trenton Water Works “is at an extremely high risk of systemic failure” and that the city “cannot repair” the system by itself. He said those third-party reviews recommend exploring restructuring Trenton Water Works as a public, regional utility and proposed a roughly 18–24 month public process to evaluate options, including extensive community engagement and a steering committee of local leaders. “I am not here to fight with you,” LaTourette said. “I’m here to collaborate with you.”

Why it matters: LaTourette and DEP staff framed the proposal as a voluntary, democratic exploration intended to identify governance, technical and financial approaches that could stabilize the system long-term. DEP officials said the agency has been providing stabilization support — including contractors and limited equipment at state expense — but that state help alone is not a durable solution. Independent reports cited by LaTourette list decades of recurring compliance and capital problems, and the assessments found that a restructured public utility could be technically and financially sustainable if properly governed and capitalized.

Key facts reported at the meeting

- Assessments and enforcement history: LaTourette summarized a history of citations and enforcement activity dating back to 2009 and noted enforcement actions in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018, plus litigation the agency initiated in 2020. DEP has procured three outside evaluations referenced at the meeting: a…