Trenton Water Works asks for limited water use as ice blocks Delaware River intakes

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Residents in parts of Mercer County, New Jersey have been urged to limit their water use following frigid overnight temperatures that caused ice to build up in the Delaware River.

Trenton Water Works customers were advised Wednesday evening to only use their tap water for essential purposes. The utility was unable to draw its water supply from the Delaware River because of frazil ice — a collection of ice crystals known to block water intakes.

The Delaware River Basin provides drinking water for more than 13 million people across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

Trenton Water Works recently spent $9 million to prevent water intake blockages, and a design flaw is likely to blame for the rare incident, said spokesman Michael Walker.

“This has never happened before. We have had issues with low river levels, but we haven’t really had an ice issue,” Walker said. “Frazil ice is unique in its geometry and what’s happening is that the frazil ice is clogging the screens of the intake, which is underwater and not allowing water to flow from the river into the intake which then enters the plant for treatment.”

Trenton Water Works is currently purchasing bulk water from New Jersey American Water through an interconnection.