On July 22, 2021, the Governor signed legislation into law for mandatory lead service line replacement, “NJ Bill A5343/S3398”, P.L.2021, Ch.183. Under this new law, public community water systems are required to inventory and replace all known lead service lines and address all service lines of unknown materials in their service areas by July 22, 2031. Additional information may be found online here and here

Step one in compliance with the law is for public community water systems to inventory lead service lines in their service area. For Wharton's lead service line inventory report please click here (updated August 2024 )

Any property that is listed as having a galvanized line has been sent letters via certified mail. If your property is listed and you haven't received one, please let us know by emailing utilities@whartonnj.com

Any property that is listed as having unknown pipe material will be receiving a letter asking for information about their lines in the next few months.

The NJDEP has prepared the below information relating to lead service lines. For additional questions you can email them at LeadInDW@dep.nj.gov

• Lead Service Line FAQ for Consumers

• What is a Lead Service Line? – Infographic

• The DEP's “Lead Exposure Reduction” Website

Every year the Water Department publishes a drinking water quality report. This report is designed to inform you about the water that is delivered from the Borough. The goal is to provide residents with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We continually make efforts to improve the water treatment process and to protect our water resources. To view the report for 2024 with results from 2023 click here.

Every Spring & Fall the Borough flushes the hydrants. The date this will be done will be printed in the newspaper and posted on the Borough's social media accounts. You may experience a discoloration of your water after the flushing is done. To avoid any problems let your water run a few minutes before using.

Sewer back-ups are usually a result of grease build up in the sewer lines. To avoid this problem, please do not pour grease, oil or other foreign items down the drain or in the toilet. Discard in a container and dispose of in your regular garbage. A charge will be imposed on anyone found to be pouring grease or oil into the sewer system.

Please don’t flush baby or other wipes. Manufacturers will often label their product as being “flushable”, but that doesn’t mean that the product is safe for your plumbing system. Wipes don’t break down in water the same way that toilet paper does, making them much more likely to get stuck somewhere in the pipes and accumulate until water and waste cannot pass through. This could result in expensive and damaging back-ups in your home, under the roads and at the treatment plant.

WHAT SHOULD GO DOWN THE TOILET?
When you flush your toilet, it's contents travel through a maze of pipes and pumps before reaching our sewage treatment plant. Along the way, there are areas in which objects, which should not be flushed, can cause blockages, and result in back ups.

Check out this informational video by NYC Environmental Protection, which helps better understand what should be flushed, and what should be trashed.

If you have any questions as to if it should be flushed, or trashed, check out these simple tips:

THE FOUR P'S
FLUSH ’em! Poop, pee, puke, and toilet paper are the ONLY things to flush down the toilet

WET WIPES & PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
TRASH ’em, even if they’re “flushable." This includes dental floss

COOKING GREASE
TRASH it. Let it cool, then put it in a sealed container and throw it away.

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WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Wet wipes—yes, even the ones that say “flushable,” dental floss, condoms, feminine products, paper towels (and all the other stuff) that you flush down your toilet enters our sewer system and mixes with the grease that you have poured down your sink. This mix of personal hygiene products and grease can create “fatbergs” in our sewers.

FATBERGS...WHAT ARE THOSE?
The word “fatberg” combines the words “fat” and “iceberg” to describe the masses of congealed grease and personal hygiene products that have been found lingering in sewers around the world.

They are HUGE, DISGUSTING, DESTRUCTIVE, and COSTLY!

BUT THE PACKAGE SAYS "FLUSHABLE"
When a product is labeled “flushable” it generally means that it will clear your toilet bowl. It does not mean it will definitely clear your pipes or break down in the sewer system or at a wastewater treatment plant. Water and wastewater utilities around the world have found a significant increase of wipes in their sewer pipes and at their plants.

Truly flushable items are ones that: break into small pieces quickly, are not buoyant, and only contain materials which will readily degrade in a range of natural environments (like paper, not plastic).

LEAKY TOILETS
Did you know that a single leaking toilet can waste over 1 gallon of water a minute, resulting in 17,000 cubic feet of water per quarter? A loss of that much water can result in a resident paying over $500.00 per quarter for lost water.

SIGNS OF A LEAKY TOILET

• Toilet water keeps running;
• Toilet runs intermittently;
• Toilet runs for a longer than usual amount of time;
• You hear noises from the toilet when it’s not in use;
• Your water bill is higher than normal

HOW TO TEST FOR A LEAKY TOILET

1. Get something that will color the water like food coloring, coffee, or powdered drink mix.
2. Add enough to the toilet tank to give the water a deep color.
3. Don’t use the toilet for at least 30 minutes.
4. If after 30 minutes you see dyed water in the toilet bowl, your toilet is leaking and likely needs to be replaced. 

If you have a leaky toilet and your toilet is older, consider replacing it with a more efficient toilet that uses less water, saving you money over time.