The Manalapan water system is undergoing a number of very exciting improvements in the upcoming years. We will be changing from a traditional treatment process, sand and coal filters, to a modern Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. In an RO system the water is forced through a very tight filter membrane under extreme pressure which results in a water that is somewhat softer than it is now and requires much less disinfection. Less disinfection results in fewer disinfection by-products such as THM’s, which are created when chlorine reacts with organic material. Another advantage to RO is that viruses, bacteria, and other biological contaminants cannot pass through the filter membranes. The total removal of these items obviously becomes very important when the fear of terrorism to water supplies remains a concern for everyone. The RO water will also eliminate the need for in-house water softeners and filtration systems.  The total cost of the new water system will be about 4.8 million dollars. However, after extensive research, it has become quite evident that this new process is still the most cost effective way to meet our future water needs in regard to both water quantity and quality.

A new water line underneath the Intracoastal Waterway is now complete. This new 14 inch PVC line replaces an existing 10-inch iron pipe that has been in service since 1958. The new line will allow us to transport water from the mainland to Hypoluxo Island at a much greater rate than is currently possible and with less energy consumption.

In the past year the water plant has changed some of its treatment processes, particularly the addition of chloramines, to improve our product and meet new standards for water treatment. We are currently in compliance with all standards set forth by the EPA and we look forward to the completion of our new water plant sometime next year.