The former licensed operator of the New Brunswick and Milltown water utilities pleaded guilty Thursday to submitting false water purity test data to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The ex-director of the New Brunswick water utility has pleaded guilty to falsifying the water purity test data he submitted to the state DEP. NEW BRUNSWICK -- The former licensed operator of the New Brunswick and Milltown water utilities pleaded guilty Thursday to submitting false water purity test data to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Edward O'Rourke, 60, of Brick, pleaded guilty to an accusation charging him with second-degree corruption of public resources and third-degree violations of the safe Water Drinking Act, according to Acting Attorney General John Hoffman.
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2015/06/new_brunswick_water_director.html
Hoffman said O'Rourke entered his pleas in New Brunswick before Superior Court Judge Alberto Rivas who will also sentence him on Feb 8, 2016 to three years in state prison on each of the charges as part of the plea bargain he entered with the state. The sentences will run concurrently, or together, Hoffman said.
Hoffman said in a statement released Thursday that O'Rourke admitted between April 2010 and December 2012 he repeatedly and intentionally submitted false water purity testing data to the DEP in order to hide the fact that he had failed to properly oversee testing of drinking water samples on behalf of both towns.
Hoffman said while the investigation did not reveal any evidence the water samples ever tested positive for coliform bacteria, O'Rourke's failure to correctly test and accurately report water purity information to the DEP meant that regulators were not able to determine whether there were bacteria that could have sickened people pumped to the public for the 33-month period.
"O'Rourke had a duty to oversee these two water systems in a manner that ensured the quality and safety of the drinking water supplied to thousands of residents, and he not only failed to perform proper testing, he lied about the test that were performed to cover up his failure," Hoffman said. "O'Rourke callously disregarded the health consequences that might have flowed from his failure to obey the law and accurately monitor the water supplied to these communities."
Hoffman said in addition to the licensed operator of the water systems in New Brunswick and Milltown, O'Rourke was also the manager of New Brunswick's certified environmental laboratory where the coliform bacteria analysis was performed.
He said the investigation done by the state during the relevant period revealed O'Rourke submitted reports on more than 200 samples that contained one more types of falsified data that invalidated the results, including false information on where the sample was taken, false testing dates and that testing procedures used were certified when they were not certified.
After O'Rourke was removed, a private company helped shepherd the company through a tough period. One replacement left for the private sector and then another, Alexi Walus, was ousted, after allegedly using offensive language.
New Brunswick appointed a new director for the water utility in June 2015. Mark Lavenberg, who has managed water and sewer facilities in six other municipalities in New Jersey, started July 6.
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
