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1. Where do I pay my bill?

Bill payment instructions will be included in your new bill from American Water. You will have a number of options for how to pay including; online, by phone, or by mail. *In Person at South Orange Village Hall: The Village does not directly accept payments at the window but will allow access to South Orange Village Water Utility customer accounts via a laptop or telephone located at the counter. You will need an online account for the online web access. Checking or credit card (Visa or Master Card) are acceptable payment methods. For residential customers billing will continue to be on a quarterly basis. www.amwater.com/SouthOrange to pay your bill online.

2. What if I have a billing issue from before 2017?

The East Orange Water Commission (EOWC) previously operated the Village’s water system until December 31st, 2016. If you have a question regarding a bill from that period contact EOWC directly at 973-266-8869.

3. What are the sources of the new water supply?

The vast majority of water South Orange receives is from surface water and well water near AW’s Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant in Millburn, NJ. Wells near the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) feed directly into the clearwell at the plant and are blended with the treated surface water at the WTP before entering the distribution system. The particular blend will differ from season to season depending on the demands of the system and may also include surface water from Passaic Valley Water Commission WTP and surface water from NJAW Raritan Millstone WTP.

The Canoe Brook WTP itself was commissioned in 2012 and has a total net capacity of 22 million gallons a day. Surface water and ground water are treated using a high rated Dissolved Air Flotation clarification process with Ozone pre-oxidation while taste and odor control are managed with pre-ozone and granular activated carbon filters with powder activated carbon as a back-up.

In addition, South Orange will improve our local water supply by investing in a complete rehabilitation of Well #17 as well as installation of a GAC (granular activated carbon) filtration system to treat Well #17 and remove the majority of contaminants including PFOA’s and VOC’s.

4. Is the new water harder or softer than with EOWC?

The water is somewhat softer. The water we received from East Orange Water Commission was primarily well water whereas the water we receive from American Water is primarily surface (reservoir) water. This means AW’s supply is somewhat softer water although it is very difficult to say if you will be able to appreciate that difference in your daily life. For the purposes of comparison AW reports the hardness of water for our area as typically between 140 - 160 parts per million (ppm). EOWC reports their water hardness to be around 320 ppm.

American Water: http://www.amwater.com/twq/shorthillsirvingtonlivingston_twq.pdf

EOWC http://www.eastorange-nj.org/departments/water/Hard_Water.htm

5. Why might I need a new water meter?

As water meters age and wear down they do not measure the amount of water that passes through them as accurately as when they were new. That means the customer does not have any accurate reflection of their actual usage and the water company does not bill for the correct amount. South Orange Village and American Water intend to install modern meters that can be read more accurately, more frequently, with less in home intrusion by workers. This will result in a more accurate bill for all parties.

6. What else are you doing to improve the water system?

The Village is working with American Water and our engineering consultants at HDR Inc. (http://www.hdrinc.com) on a variety of projects to improve the overall system. Those projects include, leak detection, building a pumping station and pipeline, and hydrant repairs. Over the next few years we also plan to upgrade and repair most of the major elements of our long neglected water infrastructure and do so using low cost bonds from New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (NJEIT) which will be repaid via water revenues, not tax dollars. ( Infrastructure Upgrades: http://www.southorange.org/574/Infrastructure-Maintenance-Projects) Infrastructure Upgrades

7. Will these changes address PFOAs and VOCs

Yes. American Water regularly tests for these and many other types of contaminants in their water supply and has invested in technologies to remove them. In addition, South Orange will improve our local water supply by investing in a complete rehabilitation (http://www.southorange.org/574/Infrastructure-Maintenance-Projects) of Well #17 as well as installation of a GAC (granular activated carbon) filtration system to treat well water and remove the majority of contaminants including PFOA’s and VOC’s. Infrastructure Upgrades

8. Is there a problem with Lead or Copper?

American Water tests for lead and copper and has not exceeded the EPA thresholds for compliance with the federal Lead and Copper Rule. It should be noted that the most common source of lead in tap water comes from the corrosion of piping on the customer side of the service connection (i.e. the outdoor service line or the internal plumbing). American Water takes steps to minimize the corrosiveness of its water through improvements in corrosion control. Nevertheless, if you are concerned about the possible presence of lead or copper in your home’s water or for more information on reducing lead exposure around your home, visit the EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/lead, call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD, or contact your health care provider.

9. Will this water have fluoride added to it?

No. American Water does not add fluoride to the finished water which they supply our area.

10. What is the situation regarding Chromium-6?

American Water routinely tests its water supply for total chromium and all results have been in compliance with the USEPA standards. The following quote is taken from American Water’s website regarding chromium.

“At American Water, we take water quality and safety very seriously. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and state drinking water programs set water quality standards designed to protect public health and American Water treats your water to meet or surpass these standards, including those set for chromium.

The USEPA does not have specific drinking water regulations for chromium-6, only total chromium, which includes consideration of the health effects due to chromium-6. American Water routinely tests its water supply for total chromium and all results have been in compliance with the USEPA standards. We also voluntarily sample for chromium-6 in accordance with USEPA guidance.

American Water is supporting national research through the Water Research Foundation to better monitor and treat for chromium-6. The USEPA is also conducting a rigorous and comprehensive review of health effects of chromium-6. Our water quality experts are closely following this research and if necessary, will be ready to implement changes in our testing and treatment.

Water quality results on chrome-6 and other parameters can be found on American Water’s website http://amwater.com/water-quality-and-stewardship/payment-locations.html . Enter your zip code or city/state to get information on your specific water quality. There you will find the annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) and a basic water quality summary with links to additional information on chrome-6.”