MONMOUTH COUNTY — New Jersey American Water said it is continuing its investment in Monmouth County's water infrastructure through two projects totaling more than $6 million in improvements in Shrewsbury Township and Middletown.
(This story is continued under the ad) Together, the projects will replace aging water mains, renew customer service lines, and improve water service reliability and fire protection capabilities for customers in both communities.
These projects are part of a long-term commitment to upgrading aging infrastructure across the more than 190 communities it serves in New Jersey, the company said.
"Customers across Monmouth County have seen New Jersey American Water working in their communities as we continue investing in the local water system," said Paul Morales, field operations superintendent for New Jersey American Water. "Whether it's replacing aging water mains or helping customers identify service line materials as part of our lead service line replacement efforts, we're making investments that improve reliability, strengthen fire protection and support the long-term needs of the communities we serve."
The larger of the two projects will take place in Shrewsbury Township, where New Jersey American Water will replace approximately two-thirds of a mile of aging water main with new 4-inch and 8-inch ductile iron pipe along Barker Avenue and Belshaw Avenue. The project also includes renewing 264 customer water service lines and replacing 10 fire hydrants.
Construction began earlier this week and will continue through June 2027. The work will be completed by Alpha Utility Contractors.
In Middletown, the company will replace over one quarter-mile of aging cast iron water main with new 8-inch ductile iron pipe along Mountainside Avenue and Millers Crossing. The project also includes renewing 17 customer water service lines and replacing one fire hydrant. Construction is underway and will continue through the end of December 2026. The work will be completed by Perna Finnigan Inc.
(This story is continued under the ad) For both projects, crews will work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Work outside of these hours is not expected unless needed to maintain the project schedule.
Traffic management will be coordinated with local officials to help maintain safe travel through the work areas.
As part of this work, if lead or galvanized piping is identified, New Jersey American Water will work with the property owner to replace the entire service line from the curb to the home as part of a statewide initiative to remove lead and galvanized service lines by 2031.
Customers are encouraged to log in to their MyWater account, update contact information, and choose how they wish to receive project notifications. Individuals who are not New Jersey American Water account holders can sign up for alerts at AWCodeRed.com or by texting WATER to 24639. Keeping contact information current will help ensure customers receive important updates about construction projects, emergency notifications and future planned work.