Licensed Operator:
Kenneth R. Garrison, Borough Engineer

Supervising Operators: The Water Generating Division
Ronald W. Grant, Chief Operator 
Daniel B. Belinsky, Supervising Water Treatment Plant Operator

Senior Water Operator:
Larry Malone

Water Operators:
Robert Calie
Glenn Roselli
Alfonsus Vander Beek
John Williams

The Fair Lawn Water Department has been providing safe, quality drinking water to the people of Fair Lawn since the 1920's. Safe clean water is essential to our well being. That's why we want you to know that your water meets or exceeds standards set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 

The Fair Lawn Water Department is committed to providing you with the safest and most reliable water supply. In 1998 alone, we collected more than 1000 water samples and performed more than 5000 analyses in both our "raw", or untreated, water and "finished", or treated, water to be sure that your water met the safety standards. All the test results are on file with the NJDEP, the agency that is responsible for monitoring and regulating drinking water in New Jersey.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has been the primary regulation to ensure that public health and safety is protected in drinking water supplies. Beginning this year the SDWA requires all water suppliers to issue an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) to customers. This water quality report is intended to share with you how well we are doing. If you have any questions about your water or your water service please call us at (201) 703-4260. You may also call the EPA safe drinking water hotline at (800) 426-4791 or find it on EPA's web site. This report, as well as other information concerning our water supply, may be viewed on the Fair Lawn web site at www.fairlawn.org.

Water Source and Supply - Where does it come from?

The Fair Lawn Water Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide a reliable supply of quality drinking water, as well as to ensure sufficient water quantity. Out of over 600 public community water systems in the State of New Jersey, the Borough's water system ranks as the 50th largest. The distribution system consists of approximately 105 miles of distribution main, 1200 fire hydrants; 4 storage tanks, having a combined capacity of 4.5 million gallons and 4 pumping stations, having a total firm pumping capacity of 17.6 million gallons per day. The treatment system consists of 4 chlorination facilities and 2 packed column VOC treatment facilities, having a capacity of 4 million gallons per day. Average daily water consumption is 4.0 million gallons per day, with peak day demands as high as 10 million gallons per day.

The NJDEP permits the Borough to operate 16 production wells, sunk about 400 feet into an underground source of water called the New Brunswick Aquifer. On average, the production wells provide fifty-five percent of the Borough's water. These wells are located throughout the Borough. After the water is pumped from the wells, we treat it to remove several contaminants.

The Borough augments its well water supply with the bulk purchase of treated water from the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) and United Water New Jersey (UWNJ). About thirty-five percent of our water comes from the PVWC. The primary source of water for the PVWC is the Pompton and Passaic Rivers. UWNJ supplies us about ten percent of our water. The primary source of water received from UWNJ come from four reservoirs, the Oradell and Woodcliff Lake reservoirs in New Jersey, and Lake Tappan and Lake Deforest reservoirs in New York. Through a vast regional network of interconnected pipelines, we may receive other treated water supplies from the Wanaque, Monksville and Boonton reservoirs.

Bottled Water or Tap Water? 

Rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs and wells are sources for both tap water and bottled water. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals. In some cases this includes radioactive material. The water can also pick up others substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Examples of these include salts, metals, viruses, bacteria or organic chemicals. In order to ensure that the water is safe to drink, the federal government sets regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water. The EPA prescribes regulations for contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribes regulations for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. However, the presence of a contaminant does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.

The Water Generating Division of the D.P.W. can not assist our customers with billing inquires, final reads and or name changes, as we do not have access to these records. You would need to call the Water Billing Office at 201-794-5334. They are located in the Borough Hall. 

All of the vital issues relating to the Water Division of the D.P.W. can be read in Borough Ordinance 241 and the Annual Water Quality Report.