New Jersey American Water Ready for Heavy Rainstorms; Offers Vital Flood Safety Tips to Customers
Proactive measures are in place to help ensure continuous service and safety during severe weather events.
CAMDEN, N.J. – August 6, 2024 – Water is everything to New Jersey American Water. But too much water can cause problems for water and wastewater utilities. As the region prepares for the pending heavy rainstorms forecasted this week and into the weekend, New Jersey American Water has initiated readiness efforts to mitigate potential impacts to its water and wastewater treatment plants and pump stations.
“Safety is one of our highest priorities as we prepare for the possibility of severe weather events, and emergency response planning is essential to providing safe and reliable water and wastewater services to our customers,” stated Ben Morris, vice president of operations for New Jersey American Water. “Our team of experts are rigorously trained in emergency preparedness and response management. If the floodwaters rise, our dedicated teams are ready to tackle the challenges of keeping our systems operational and restoring services swiftly if they are affected.”
As part of the company’s readiness efforts, Operations personnel have tested and fueled generators, vehicles and fuel storage tanks; prepared wastewater treatment plants for increased flows; reviewed plans for monitoring water levels outside our treatment facilities; and updated staffing plans to help with response efforts. Extra preparation efforts are underway at the company’s Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant, which is situated on the Raritan River and is equipped with an enhanced flood protection system, as well as at the company’s six other surface water treatment plants across the state.
New Jersey American Water also reminds customers to take precautions of their own by following these storm preparedness and flood safety tips:
- Make an emergency plan. Visit www.ready.gov/plan to get started. This plan will help you know what to do, where to go, and what you will need to help protect yourself, your family and your pets from flooding. Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans, and flash flood response. Gather supplies, including non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and water for several days, in case you must leave immediately or if services are cut off in your area.
- Know Your Risk for Floods. Visit FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to know types of flood risk in your area. Sign up for your community’s warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
- Turn around, don’t drown. Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
- If under a flood warning, find a safe shelter. Stay where you are, move to higher ground or a higher floor, and evacuate if told to do so.
- Be aware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Turn off the electricity to prevent electric shock if it is safe to do so.
- Avoid wading in floodwater, which can be contaminated and contain dangerous debris. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water.
Customers are also reminded to verify and update their communications preferences for water- and wastewater-related emergency notifications in their online MyWater account. For more flood safety tips, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods.
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.9 million people.
CAMDEN, N.J. – August 6, 2024 – Water is everything to New Jersey American Water. But too much water can cause problems for water and wastewater utilities. As the region prepares for the pending heavy rainstorms forecasted this week and into the weekend, New Jersey American Water has initiated readiness efforts to mitigate potential impacts to its water and wastewater treatment plants and pump stations.
“Safety is one of our highest priorities as we prepare for the possibility of severe weather events, and emergency response planning is essential to providing safe and reliable water and wastewater services to our customers,” stated Ben Morris, vice president of operations for New Jersey American Water. “Our team of experts are rigorously trained in emergency preparedness and response management. If the floodwaters rise, our dedicated teams are ready to tackle the challenges of keeping our systems operational and restoring services swiftly if they are affected.”
As part of the company’s readiness efforts, Operations personnel have tested and fueled generators, vehicles and fuel storage tanks; prepared wastewater treatment plants for increased flows; reviewed plans for monitoring water levels outside our treatment facilities; and updated staffing plans to help with response efforts. Extra preparation efforts are underway at the company’s Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant, which is situated on the Raritan River and is equipped with an enhanced flood protection system, as well as at the company’s six other surface water treatment plants across the state.
New Jersey American Water also reminds customers to take precautions of their own by following these storm preparedness and flood safety tips:
- Make an emergency plan. Visit www.ready.gov/plan to get started. This plan will help you know what to do, where to go, and what you will need to help protect yourself, your family and your pets from flooding. Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans, and flash flood response. Gather supplies, including non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and water for several days, in case you must leave immediately or if services are cut off in your area.
- Know Your Risk for Floods. Visit FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to know types of flood risk in your area. Sign up for your community’s warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
- Turn around, don’t drown. Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
- If under a flood warning, find a safe shelter. Stay where you are, move to higher ground or a higher floor, and evacuate if told to do so.
- Be aware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Turn off the electricity to prevent electric shock if it is safe to do so.
- Avoid wading in floodwater, which can be contaminated and contain dangerous debris. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water.
Customers are also reminded to verify and update their communications preferences for water- and wastewater-related emergency notifications in their online MyWater account. For more flood safety tips, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods.
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.9 million people.