New Brunswick Water Department

Both tap water and bottled water sources include groundwater (springs, wells) and surface waters (rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, reservoirs). As water flows over land or through underground layers, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and may collect substances from animal presence or human activities.

The City of New Brunswick sources its water from surface supplies. Water is transported to the New Brunswick Water Treatment Plant from two primary locations: Weston's Mill Pond (fed by Lawrence Brook) and the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The city alternates between these sources throughout the year based on raw water quality assessments to deliver optimal water to New Brunswick residents. All water undergoes filtration and disinfection before distribution.

In 2004, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) completed a Source Water Assessment Report for this public system. This report is available at www.state.nj.us/dep/swap/ or by contacting NJDEP's Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at 609-292-5550. The assessment identified medium to high susceptibility to contamination by pathogens, nutrients, pesticides, inorganics and disinfection byproducts, with low susceptibility to radionuclide and radon contamination - typical findings for developed-area surface water sources.

A high vulnerability rating doesn't indicate customers are consuming contaminated water, but rather shows potential contamination risk to source water. Public water systems must monitor regulated contaminants and implement treatment if contaminants exceed permitted levels.

Cryptosporidium Information: This protozoan occurs in untreated surface water nationwide (but generally not in groundwater). While filtration removes Cryptosporidium, standard filtration methods cannot guarantee 100% removal. Consuming Cryptosporidium can cause cryptosporidiosis, causing symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals recover within weeks, but immunocompromised persons face serious illness risks. Our 2017 raw water monitoring showed Cryptosporidium levels ranging from 0.27 to 0.36 oocysts/L - low enough that no supplemental treatment is required per EPA standards.

Important Health Information: Some individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general population. Immunocompromised persons, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly individuals, and infants may face increased infection risks. These individuals should seek medical advice about water consumption. Guidelines for reducing Cryptosporidium and microbial contamination risks are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

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