Water Department

The Water Distribution Division is responsible for maintenance and repair of approximately 105 miles of water distribution mains, 1200 fire hydrants, all curb stops and water valves within the system. The Division is also responsible for the maintenance, repair and installation / removal of all water meters.

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 readings and/or name changes, as we do not have access to these records. Please contact the Water Billing Office at (201) 794-5334 located on the 1st Floor of the Municipal Building, 8-01 Fair Lawn Avenue. . 

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.

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 Suez Water. 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. Suez Water supplies us about ten percent of our water. The primary source of water received from Suez Water comes 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.

NJDEP is prompting building owners and businesses to take appropriate steps to prevent drinking water quality problems prior to re-entry into buildings after an emergency or other unforeseen challenge that resulted in low or no use. The internal plumbing system within individual buildings that serve drinking water to the public need to be restarted properly before consumption. Stagnant water can enable bacterial and/or pathogen growth and can cause unwanted contaminants (e.g., lead) to leach from pipe materials, all having the potential to cause significant health impacts.

NJDEP recommends “flushing” premise plumbing by opening taps or faucets and systematically letting the water run to remove water that has been standing in the interior pipes and/or outlets.

Best practices including flushing may vary for each type of establishment, its configuration, plumbing components, number of outlets and length of water lines. NJDEP recommends hiring a licensed plumber or operator when necessary for assistance in determining the volume of water associated with your plumbing components (e.g., lengths and diameters of piping) and the rate of water flow from a tap or faucet in determining appropriate flushing times. 

Follow this link for questions about the water meter replacement program.