WWC Mission Statement

The mission of the Water Works Conservancy, Inc. (WWC) is to tell the story of water as a vital resource, through the historic interaction between the Hackensack River, its ecosystem and the humans who depend upon it. Additionally, WWC supports the preservation and restoration of the historic and architecturally significant Hackensack Water Works, which includes the pump house, water filtration and purification plant, coagulation basin, the unique steam-powered pumping equipment and 100-year timeline of technology intact within the site. Further, WWC supports the restoration and protection of the river ecosystem.

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE WATER WORKS CONSERVANCY, INC.

The Water Works Conservancy, Inc. (WWC), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, history, educational and historic preservation advocacy organization, started in 1994 as a grassroots effort to save the historic Hackensack Water Works site on Van Buskirk Island in Oradell, NJ. At this site in 1906, a water treatment and delivery process was instituted which made water pure and safe to drink, free from water born diseases, for the first time in history. This site is the only surviving intact site of its kind. This method of water treatment became the national and international standard.

WWC incorporated (in 1999) and has broadened its mission to tell the story of water through the historic interaction between the Hackensack River, its ecosystem and the humans who depend upon it. WWC asks the question, as we study the history of this beautiful Valley, how do we protect and nourish it and create a future that will sustain the River, the Valley and the humans who live in the valley?
In 2007, WWC opened its Museum at 383 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell, NJ, and began developing programs and exhibits around the themes of the Hackensack River, the history of the Water Works and the history of Bergen County. Children of all ages and adults participate in these programs and exhibits which promote the understanding of the Hackensack River habitat; the value of water as a limited resource, its use and misuse; the growth and development of Bergen County; and the relationship between our environment and our future development.

WWC supports preserving the historic integrity of the historic Hackensack Water Company site and the steam pumping equipment and 100-year timeline of technology inside for future generations. WWC is also dedicated to re-creating Hackensack River habitat on the industrialized Van Buskirk Island and providing educational programming for the public.