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United Water dedicates revamped dam

The project costs $3.7 million.

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — United Water recently celebrated the completion of a $3.7 million renovation of the water supply dam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
   The dam on Swan Creek in Lambertville will improve safety and reliability and increase the water supply capacity, according to United Water.
   Also now safeguarding the dam is a new state-of-the-art monitoring system the utility says will be especially useful during heavy rains.
   ”This dam has played a key role in providing safe drinking water to the residents of Lambertville and West Amwell since 1877,” Chief Operating Officer Bob Iacullo said. “Although it has served the community well throughout most of these years, we recognized that substantial improvements were necessary to ensure the health and well-being of the residents living downstream of the dam. This project today helps protect the community but also helps us increase the amount of water we can store for drinking water supply as well as public health and fire protection.”
   The old dam was removed during the project, but United Water still maintained the drinking water supply despite the necessary lowering of the reservoir’s level.
   With the dam’s completion, United Water can raise the reservoir level about 3 feet, resulting in a storage capacity of 45 to 50 million gallons.
   ”We are very proud of our project team that worked through many late evening hours and showed quite a bit of effort and determination to make this happen,” Mr. Iacullo said. “The result of their labor is that the dam here in Lambertville, which is such a part of the community’s history, will now be an equally important part of its future.”
   Major aspects of the project include a new primary spillway, a new auxiliary spillway, a new parapet wall, a new access roadway, a new low-level outlet and overtopping protection.
   United Water had to tackle a water problem last year and recently announced continued testing for another possible problem.
   Earlier this month, the company advised customers to take precautions with their tap water because of slightly elevated levels of lead and copper. Later samples tested within the acceptable range.
   United Water was unsure what caused the unusual readings, and testing is continuing. In the meantime, customers have been advised to use cold water only for drinking, cooking and, especially, for the preparation of baby formula. Pipes should be flushed before using or drinking the cold water.
   In December 2006, the water contained elevated levels of trihalomethanes, but the situation has been rectified, according to United Water officials. Trihalomethanes are potentially harmful byproducts of the chlorination process used to disinfect the water supply.
   United Water New Jersey’s parent company, United Water, provides water and wastewater services to 7.7 million people in the United States. In addition to owning and operating 25 regulated utilities, United Water operates 145 municipal systems through public-private partnerships and contract agreements, including four of the nation’s largest water and wastewater contracts.
   Founded in 1869, United Water is a subsidiary of the Suez Environment division of the Suez Group.