New Jersey American Water and city officials mark the finish of a project that serves Salem City and parts of Quinton, Elsinboro and Mannington
SALEM — Officials from New Jersey American Water, Salem City and the state gathered Tuesday to celebrate the completion of a $21.3 million PFAS treatment project at the Salem Water Treatment Plant, a permanent fix for a water system that was out of compliance with drinking water rules when the company took it over.
New Jersey American Water acquired Salem’s water and wastewater systems in June 2024. At the time, the water system was not meeting applicable drinking water regulations for PFAS. The company broke ground on the project in spring 2025 and put the new treatment into service that November. The final housing for the treatment equipment was finished this past summer.
The system uses granular activated carbon technology, with six treatment vessels arranged across three treatment trains. It can treat up to 2 million gallons of water per day. The plant serves Salem City and portions of Quinton, Elsinboro and Mannington townships.
The work went beyond the PFAS system itself. The project included a new treatment building and backwash equalization tank, upgrades to source-water wells, treatment controls and monitoring systems, and replacement of aging pumps, piping, membrane treatment units and chemical-feed equipment. Fire protection, security and other site improvements were also completed.
Salem City Mayor Jody Veler said the city placed an essential piece of its infrastructure in the company’s hands when it sold the system a little over two years ago, and that the sale carried an expectation of responsible stewardship and continued investment.
“Since then, New Jersey American Water has been a great community partner, and the installation of this new PFAS filtration system is another meaningful example of that partnership in action,” Veler said. “Our residents deserve confidence in the water they use each day, and investments like this help us build that confidence.”
Assemblyman David Bailey called the plant “a great model as we move forward.”
“When Salem residents turn on their water, they need to know that it’s going to be there and that it’s going to be safe,” Bailey said.
New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough said the company moved quickly once it understood the urgency of the system’s water quality needs.
“Today is about delivering on the commitment we made to Salem,” McDonough said.
The PFAS project is part of more than $28 million the company says it has invested in Salem’s water and wastewater infrastructure during its first two years of ownership. Other completed work includes upgrades to the Salem wastewater treatment plant and pump stations, customer-meter replacements and rehabilitation of the city’s water tank. The company plans to invest another $48 million over the next five years.
“Completing this project is an important milestone, but it is not the end of our work in Salem,” McDonough said.
More on the company’s PFAS work is available at newjerseyamwater.com/Water-Quality/PFAS