5 Secrets Of The Veolia Haworth Water Treatment Plant: The $274 Million Upgrade And Cutting-Edge Technology
The Veolia Haworth Water Treatment Plant stands as a critical pillar of North Jersey's infrastructure, a massive facility that ensures clean, potable water for hundreds of thousands of residents. As of late 2024 and early 2025, the facility is more relevant than ever, serving as the centerpiece of Veolia North America’s ongoing, multi-million dollar commitment to system-wide upgrades and service reliability across the state.
This state-of-the-art purification facility, located in Haworth, New Jersey, is constantly evolving, blending a rich history with cutting-edge water treatment technology to meet the demands of a growing population and increasingly stringent water quality standards. The plant is a hub of technological innovation and a key focus of Veolia’s recent financial filings with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
The Haworth Water Treatment Plant Profile
The Haworth Water Treatment Plant is not just a building; it is a complex, high-capacity industrial operation vital to the daily lives of North Jersey residents. Originally opened in 1989, though its history traces back to earlier facilities, it has consistently been recognized as one of the largest and most modern water treatment facilities in the United States.
- Operator: Veolia North America (formerly United Water New Jersey / Suez).
- Location: Haworth, Bergen County, New Jersey.
- Primary Water Source: The Oradell Reservoir, which is fed by the Hackensack River.
- Average Daily Capacity: The plant is designed to draw and treat an average of 98 million gallons a day (MGD) from the Oradell source.
- Customers Served: Provides water to over 750,000 people in Bergen, Hudson, and Essex counties.
- Key Technologies: Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF), Ozone System, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration, and liquid ammonium sulfate disinfection.
- Recent Focus (2024/2025): Part of Veolia’s $274 million investment in infrastructure upgrades and service reliability projects across New Jersey.
1. The Massive $274 Million Investment Driving New Upgrades
The most significant and current development surrounding the Haworth facility is its role in Veolia’s massive capital investment program. In a recent filing with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Veolia North America requested a rate review to support a staggering $274 million investment in essential infrastructure projects across its New Jersey operations.
While this investment is spread across the state, the Haworth plant is a key beneficiary and a showcase for the "cutting-edge treatment plant upgrades" mentioned in Veolia’s official statements.
These essential projects are designed to ensure long-term water quality and service reliability. They include replacing aging water mains and valves, restoring critical water storage tanks, and, crucially, implementing the latest advancements in water treatment technology. This financial commitment underscores the plant's strategic importance as a long-term asset for North Jersey's water security.
2. The Core Technology: Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)
The Haworth Water Treatment Plant is renowned for its use of advanced purification methods, with Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) being a cornerstone of its clarification process. DAF technology is a state-of-the-art method that sets this facility apart from many older treatment plants.
How DAF Works at Haworth
Unlike traditional sedimentation, which relies on gravity to settle heavier particles, DAF excels at removing low-density solids, such as algae, oils, and grease, that might float or remain suspended in the water.
The process involves dissolving air under pressure into the raw water. When the pressure is released in the flotation tank, millions of microscopic air bubbles form. These bubbles attach to the suspended particles, lifting them to the surface where a skimming mechanism can easily remove the resulting sludge blanket. This high-rate clarification is particularly effective for treating water sourced from the Oradell Reservoir, which can experience seasonal spikes in algae.
The implementation of DAF was part of a major modernization project between 2007 and 2011, ensuring the plant could meet and exceed current and pending regulatory requirements for drinking water quality.
3. Beyond DAF: Ozone and Advanced Disinfection
The Haworth plant’s commitment to water purity extends far beyond clarification. The facility employs a multi-barrier approach, including an advanced Ozone System and a modern disinfection process.
Ozone Treatment for Enhanced Purity
Ozonation involves using ozone gas (O₃), a powerful oxidant, to disinfect and purify the water. The plant replaced its 1980s-era ozone system with a new, more efficient one as part of its continuous upgrade cycle.
Ozone is highly effective at destroying pathogens, viruses, and bacteria. More importantly, it acts as a pre-ozonation facility that helps break down organic compounds, reducing the potential for disinfection byproducts (DBPs) when chlorine is later applied. This step is crucial for maintaining the highest standards of water safety.
Safer Disinfection with Liquid Ammonium Sulfate
In another critical technological shift, the Haworth WTP converted its disinfection system from using anhydrous ammonia to the much safer liquid ammonium sulfate.
This conversion significantly improved the safety profile of the plant by eliminating the need for large quantities of a hazardous gas while maintaining the efficacy of chloramination—the process of adding chlorine and ammonia to form chloramines, which provide long-lasting disinfection as the water travels through the distribution system to customers’ homes.
4. The Oradell Reservoir: A Vital and Protected Water Source
The entire operation of the Haworth Water Treatment Plant is intrinsically linked to its primary source: the Oradell Reservoir. Located on the Hackensack River, the reservoir is a crucial waterbody for North Jersey, providing potable water to over 750,000 people.
Veolia owns and operates the reservoir and the Oradell Dam, managing the raw water quality before it enters the treatment process. On average, the plant draws 98 million gallons of water daily from this source.
The quality of the source water directly impacts the plant’s operations. The advanced DAF and ozone systems are specifically necessary to handle the varying conditions of a surface water source like the Oradell Reservoir, ensuring that seasonal changes, such as increased runoff or algae blooms, do not compromise the final product.
5. An Educational and Community Hub (2024-2025)
Beyond its technical operations, the Veolia Haworth Water Treatment Plant is actively engaged with the local community. For the 2024-2025 school year, the facility is a key location for Veolia’s Municipal Water School Outreach Program.
This program offers interactive educational lessons and tours, giving students a firsthand look at the complex science and engineering required to turn raw reservoir water into clean drinking water.
The plant also frequently hosts industry professionals. For instance, the New Jersey Utilities Association (NJUA) recently toured the facility to witness the purification process and discuss the future of water infrastructure in New Jersey.
This focus on education and transparency highlights Veolia’s commitment to not only providing high-quality water but also fostering public understanding of the critical, often unseen, infrastructure that supports daily life in North Jersey.
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