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Required Lead Sampling is Complete and Camden Water Meets Standards

CAMDEN, N.J. (December 21, 2021) – Today New Jersey American Water and American Water Contract Services announced both have completed their required lead and copper sampling for 2021 and all systems tested meet state water quality regulations, including the systems in Camden.

New Jersey American Water tested 24 water systems that are required to be tested between June and September, including its system in Camden’s Cramer Hill section and the 11th & 12th wards, and all results show compliance with safe drinking water guidelines for lead and copper. American Water Contract Services completed its required testing of Camden’s water system, and their results also show compliance with guidelines for lead and copper.

The City’s water is divided into two systems: New Jersey American Water owns and operates the water system in East Camden/Cramer Hill, which serves about one-third of the city’s residents, and American Water Contract Services operates and maintains the city’s water system through a contract with the City of Camden’s Department of Public Works, which serves about two-thirds of the city’s residents, as well as all of the city’s wastewater customers. Both water systems meet or surpass all water quality regulations, including those related to lead and copper.

“Both New Jersey American Water and American Water Contract Services in Camden routinely test and monitor the drinking water leaving the treatment facilities and at different distribution points through the system – and we provide corrosion control treatment where needed – and these specific lead and copper testing results show our treatment processes are working,” said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. “While these results will be included in our annual Water Quality Reports in June, we wanted to share this news with our customers now so they can feel confident that their water is safe to drink.”

“The water treatment process is working in Camden,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. “I appreciate the hard work of New Jersey American Water and American Water Contract Services to make sure that quality water gets to every faucet in our community.  The annual Water Quality Reports will clearly show the water is safe and in fully compliance with guidelines. The City of Camden is confident in having such an experienced partner like American Water.  Our Camden residents and water customers can be assured, we are making the right investments in our water system to ensure high quality water standards remain for decades to come.”

Water Quality Reports, which are available online and also in printed copies upon request, give an overview of local drinking water sources for each community and detail the extensive testing conducted on the water delivered by the company each year. Camden residents who are New Jersey American Water customers can access their water quality report online at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under Water Quality. City of Camden customers, serviced through American Water Contract Services, can access their water quality report online at www.aw-connect.com/Camden

McDonough added that there are additional steps people can take to help further protect themselves from lead particles that could be present in indoor plumbing. “While we know that lead is not an issue in the treated water leaving our facilities or in the pipes in the distribution system, if your home was built before 1985, your plumbing system may contain leaded materials. To minimize possible exposure, experts recommend running your kitchen tap with cold water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if it has gone unused for more than six hours. This is a simple way to reduce the risk of lead exposure from plumbing in older buildings.”

For more tips and information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com/leadfacts.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Denise Venuti Free

Director of Communications and External Affairs

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Denise.Free@amwater.com