Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo Demands Veolia Water Share Woodcliff Lake Reservoir Data for Flood Study
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ, Flooding in the Pascack Valley remains a pressing concern for local residents, and Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo is pushing state officials and private water management to take immediate action.
In a recent update, Mayor Arroyo detailed ongoing efforts to address water management practices at the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, focusing on a critical scientific study that could reshape flood mitigation across the region.
The Standoff Over Reservoir Data
Mayor Arroyo highlighted a recent meeting with Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Ombudsman Joe Grillo, arranged through Governor Sherrill’s office. The primary topic: Veolia Water NJ’s ongoing refusal to share water management data.
The taxpayer-funded study, led by hydrologist Dr. Temimi at the Stevens Institute of Technology, utilizes Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). The objective is to build an accurate predictive model of how the drainage basin behaves before and during heavy rainfall.
While utility operators like Veolia (and predecessors Suez and United Water) have long maintained that reservoir infrastructure isn’t designed for flood control, local officials argue that refusing to share operational data prevents scientists from testing whether flood mitigation can be safely integrated into standard procedures.
BPU Subpoena Power and Upcoming Meetings
The impasse, which has lingered since early March, may soon reach a turning point:
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BPU Intervention: BPU representatives agreed with arguments supporting disclosure. The Borough of Westwood believes state regulators hold the statutory authority to compel data turnover via a formal audit or subpoena.
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Direct Dialogue: Mayor Arroyo spoke with Alan Weland, Regional President of Veolia Water NJ, who agreed to meet with Dr. Temimi on September 10 to discuss information sharing.
Modernizing Flood Management in the Pascack Valley
Mayor Arroyo stressed that traditional, fixed-level operating rules fail to reflect current climate patterns, expanded overdevelopment, and advanced meteorological forecasting.
With state legislation (S-1952) moving through committee to address watershed management, local leadership remains hopeful that scientific data will finally drive policy change—replacing outdated rules with modern flood control measures.
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Tags: Westwood NJ, Pascack Valley, Veolia Water, Local Government, Flood Mitigation, Bergen County
A reservoir is used to hold water for future use.
It’s not part of a flood control system.
Nature provided a flood control system called a flood-plain.
Then man came along and built in those flood-plains.