Sewer plan for Claremont area OK’d

By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
   Concerns about wastewater conditions, dating back about two decades, has finally led the township to begin an expensive, but necessary, process to lend a helping hand.
   The Township Committee unanimously approved the introduction of an ordinance Nov. 12 to install a sanitary sewer system in the Claremont section of town, replacing the septic tank systems currently used by the about 210 residents.
   Public hearing for the ordinance will be held on Dec. 11.
   Kevin Davis, township clerk, said the Claremont section was not in the initial State Wastewater Management Plan, which provides planning for wastewater and other water quality concerns in areas of New Jersey. He said the township had Claremont added to the plan so it could move forward with the plans.
   The entire project, Mr. Davis said, will cost about $5.5 million. He said the township is planning to apply to the state Environmental Infrastructure Trust (EIT) fund for the entire cost of the project; he said the trust provides loans at lower rates than the township would get if they had decided to pay for the project through bonds.
   According to Mr. Davis, if the township is not given the money from the EIT, it will bond the project.
   Either way, the fund — or bonds — will be paid by residents in the neighborhood, through a special assessment. The ordinance authorizes about $600,000 to begin the project, including surveying the land, drawing up engineering designs for sewer lines and the application processes.
   According to Gary Nucera, executive director of the Hillsborough Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA), the township is working on this project in an effort to improve the quality of life in that area of town where the current systems are not functioning properly.
   Mr. Nucera said that once the sewer system is in place, the residents affected will become customers of the MUA.
   ”Residents will disconnect their septic systems and connect to the new sewer system,” he said. “They will pay $380 a year for a single family home.
   Mr. Davis said the project is expected to begin in November 2008.
   According to Dr. Glen Belnay, health officer for Hillsborough, the project has been on the township’s radar for 20 years, since a study done in the mid 1980s found that a sanitary sewer system would be beneficial for the purpose of cleansing wastewater from the different properties. Most importantly, he said, the properties are too small to handle the current septic systems, which are designed to properly treat wastewater on two-acre properties.
   ”About two acres is what is needed to absorb nitrates and bacteria in sewage,” he said. “These properties are half an acre to an acre.”
   In addition, Dr. Belnay said there are three ponds in the Claremont section that now have too many nitrates, causing them to turn back into swamps.
   ”The septic systems are not treating the wastewater properly,” he said. “The ponds now can’t sustain aquatic life and kids in contact with the ponds are playing with sewage.”
   Dr. Belnay said the township presented the project to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2006, and received unanimous approval to begin the process of installing the sewer systems.
   According to Dr. Belnay, provisions will be made for those residents who replaced their septic systems anytime after 1990. Regulations stipulating that the residents connect to the sewer system will be amended to allow them to continue using their septic systems until they fail, after which they can tap into the sewers.
   The septic systems, which generally last for about 25 to 30 years with proper maintenance, can cost about $30,000 to $40,000 to replace each time they fail. Dr. Belnay said about 25 percent of the systems in the Claremont section have recently been repaired.
   Many residents, who have been working to convince the township to go ahead with the project, are pleased that it is ready to take the next step.
   ”I think it’s great that the township is trying for the environmental fund,” said Tom O’Donnell, of Anne Street in the Claremont section, who said he has been working with the township on the sewer project since 2003. “This will be a good service to this community. The township is doing its homework.”