It has been announced by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) that the New Brunswick Water Department has repeatedly filed false water data reports. These reports include falsified water quality tests, incorrectly calculated test results, and failure to notify the public of failures to meet water quality standards. The DEP news release, available on the DEP website, notes that no direct evidence has been found to indicate that the public health has been negatively impacted by these falsified reports.
The DEP, aided in its investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has taken swift action in response to the discovered infractions, filing Administrative Orders and a Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment against Edward O’Rourke, the now-suspended licensed operator of the New Brunswick Water Department.