High level of algae in the Canoe Brook Reservoir on John F. Kennedy Parkway created brown water for residents of the area. Last summer the algae was more prevalent due to many days of sunshine that encouraged algae growth. This made the problem more difficult for the water treatment facility. New Jersey American Water has taken steps to ensure brown water does not leave the plant in the future, but the plans for a new plant will be a permanent fix while providing better quality drinking water for the region.
The new plant’s filtration technology floats particulates so the they can then be skimmed off the top. The new filtration process is being combined with ozone water treatment to further remove impurities creating a cleaner process with less chemical use. Ozone disinfection is expected to prevent brown water issues that the residents experienced in the past. The ozone process is used in many other plants around the world and has been proven to be effective.???
The Canoe Brook Treatment Plant pulls from three reservoirs in Livingston and Short Hills that have 2.2 billion gallons of water. The plant treats and produces up to 15 million gallons of water of clean water per day. A groundbreaking for phase two is planned for May with the entire project to be completed by July 2012.