Alan Godber and I, trustees of the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, canoed the watershed this past summer. On many of our trips, we observed the poor design of bridges over the aquifer. The storm drainage system of these bridges empties directly into the aquifer. The storm water contains many of the pollutants from cars and trucks that travel over these bridges. These pollutants, which include oil drippings and tire particles from these vehicles, contribute to the deterioration of the water quality of the Lawrence Brook. Since the Lawrence Brook serves as a drinking water source for a number of towns, this should not be tolerated.
It is recommended that when these bridges are replaced, the storm drain systems of these bridges include a detention pond for the storm water. As a result, many of these pollutants will be filtered out before the water enters the aquifer.
On one of our canoe trips, Alan and I noticed that the Davidson Mill Road bridge, South Brunswick, has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be replaced immediately. Perhaps this new bridge could be designed with the above improvement. As a result, it could serve as a model bridge for Middlesex County.
In conclusion, it should be noted this bridge problem exists with many bridges that go over drinking water sources in Middlesex County. It probably is a state problem; it may even be a national problem.
Raymond M. Seaman
Member
South Brunswick
Environmental Commission