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History
In
1849 the Passaic Water Company was incorporated and secured
franchises for the distribution of water to the Town
of Paterson and environs, then known as the Township of Manchester. The principal intake was completed in
1857 and was located
on the Passaic River below the Great Falls in Paterson. The untreated water supply was pumped directly from the river into the mains supplying
the city. Subsequently the intake was moved to a point on the river
immediately above the Falls, and in 1899 was again moved to the present
intake on the Passaic River at Little Falls, approximately five
miles upstream from Paterson.
As the communities grew,
the need for a better quality of water increased and, in
1902, the East Jersey Water Company constructed a
filter plant at the Little Falls site. The filtration plant was the first
large sized rapid sand filter system in the world and was used as a text
book example of this type of water purification. It evoked the interest of
water-works engineers throughout the world and was used by water
purification consultants as the finest example of the most modern method
of water treatment.
In 1916, the need for additional water supply for the
northern metropolitan area of New Jersey inspired the creation of the
North Jersey District Water Supply Commission. The City of Newark was the
first to contract with the newly formed Commission, and other interested
municipalities including the Cities of Passaic, Paterson and Clifton opted
to participate in this Wanaque water supply project. By
1930, the Wanaque
Reservoir had been constructed and the first Wanaque water was
introduced into the aqueduct.
In 1920, the East Jersey Water
Company was acquired
by the Passaic
Consolidated Water Utility. Passaic Valley Water Commission came
into being in 1927 under Chapter 195 of the New Jersey laws of 1923 which
provided that two or more municipalities may join together in the purchase
and operation of a water works system. Thus, in 1930, the cities of
Paterson, Passaic and Clifton, through condemnation, acquired the
properties of the privately owned Passaic Consolidated Water Company. The
properties secured consisted of not only the distribution system, the
filtration plant and pumping station located at Little Falls, but also the
right to divert waters from the Passaic River drainage
area.
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History of Development of PVWC
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1791
Establishment of Society of Establishing Useful Manufactures.
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1849 Passaic Water Company was incorporated &
secured franchises for water distribution to the town of Paterson &
environs.
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1857 Principal intake of Passaic Water Company
completed-located on Passaic River below the Great Falls in
Paterson
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1899 Intake relocated to present intake on the Passaic
River in Little Falls
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1902 Filtration Plant completed and put into operation
in Little Falls
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1916 North Jersey District Water Supply Commission
created by Act of Legislature
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1927 Passaic Valley Water Commission created by an Act
of Legislature to acquire the privately owned water works system for
Clifton, Passaic and Paterson.
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1930 North Jersey District Water Supply commission
project completed-included contracting with City of Newark, Paterson,
Passaic and Clifton. NJDWC constructed the Wanaque Reservoir and
appurtenances by the erection of the Raymond Dam across the Wanaque
River in Wanaque, New Jersey.
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1932 Completion of construction and other major
improvements (the Wanaque Supply was brought into the system by
construction of a pipe line) from the Wanaque aqueduct into the Little
Falls Plant.
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1937 Acquisition of Prospect Park
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1962 Major enlargement and modernization initiated at
the Little Falls Gravity Water Filtration Plant.
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1986 Major enlargement of PVWC Water Treatment
Plant.
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1997 Acquisition of Lodi Water Utility
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1998 Start of Water Treatment Plant
Upgrade.
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2004
Completion of new water
treatment plant upgrade, featuring Ozoneation.
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2005
Acquisition of North
Arlington Water Utility.
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