Public Health

Safe drinking water is one of the greatest public health and engineering achievements in American history. Yet millions of Americans reach for a bottle instead of the tap. As utilities invest billions to modernize drinking water systems, the story behind America's favorite packaged beverage offers a new perspective on the infrastructure most people rarely see.

Cleaning up a Superfund site involves much more than removing contaminated soil. At the former Cornell-Dubilier Electronics facility in South Plainfield, decades of industrial activity contaminated buildings, groundwater, nearby properties and Bound Brook. The cleanup has required demolition, excavation, thermal treatment, groundwater extraction and years of monitoring. This deep dive examines how Superfund sites are investigated, how cleanup methods are selected, who pays for the work and why protecting a community can take decades.

Before water reaches a Philly faucet, it passes through a closely controlled sequence of settling, chemical treatment, filtration, disinfection and testing. The city’s three treatment plants process more than 300 million gallons on an average day, drawing from the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers before sending finished water through approximately 3,100 miles of mains.

New satellite imagery shows the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has grown to nearly 5,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. While the floating seaweed supports marine life in the open ocean, massive blooms washing ashore can impact coastal ecosystems, tourism, and local economies. Scientists continue studying the environmental factors driving its expansion.

PFAS have been found in the bodies of an estimated 97 percent of Americans, with research linking exposure to potential health risks. Residents can use NJ’s PFAS mapping tool to check local water quality and take steps to limit exposure.

A new kind of water crisis has been unfolding, driven not by visible pollution or failing pipes, but by PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals” found in drinking water across the state. While federal standards lagged for years, New Jersey moved early, building its own testing programs and enforcing strict limits. Read more on how New Jersey became a national leader in the fight against PFAS.

Every flush tells a story. New Jersey is using wastewater surveillance to track viruses like flu, RSV and COVID-19, often before people even feel sick.

Add Manasquan to the list of municipal water & sewer authorities that are dealing with upgrading aging water & sewer systems. The borough council...

In 1859, Trenton became the first city in New Jersey to own and operate its own municipal water system. Take a look into the past at how a public vote helped lay the foundation for modern water infrastructure in the Garden State.

Princeton-rooted startup PolyGone is piloting biomimetic filters to remove microplastics from wastewater. Early tests capture hundreds of millions of tiny plastics and could scale across treatment plants to cut pollution.

Hopewell Borough has signed a $6.4 million agreement to sell its municipal water system to New Jersey American Water. New Jersey American Water plans to invest roughly $7 million in system improvements over the first five years, including infrastructure upgrades and service reliability enhancements.

"New Jersey is, in many ways, ground zero for some of the worst impacts of PFAS.” Water providers across the tristate area are racing to remove these “forever chemicals” from drinking water through new treatment systems and stricter testing.

The City of Newark saved $4.1 million while tackling stormwater pollution. The Peddie CSO project prevents stormwater overflow and protects local waterways, including the Passaic River.

A brief history and behind the scenes look at the Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Bridgewater.

"The well, located at a self-storage facility, recorded a total PFAS concentration of 18,997 parts per trillion, the highest ever seen in New Jersey and among the highest in the nation."

"Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are receiving millions of dollars in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve drinking water quality, upgrade...

A poll conducted among 1,056 registered New Jersey voters from August 14-16, 2024, reveals significant concerns and opinions regarding water quality and infrastructure in...

An article in Northeaster Global News discusses new research from Northeastern University. Key findings from the research includes: PFAS Contamination: PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are...

A nationwide warning has been issued regarding potential cyberattacks on water and wastewater systems in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and...

This article in the Asbury Park Press discusses the widespread contamination of drinking water in New Jersey and other parts of the United States by...