By Amy Batista, Special Writer
A resident voiced her concerns about the costs of a malfunctioning sewage pump, which the town expects to fix.
”I find it very hard to accept that a debt service is going to be placed on a project that has been a nightmare since it started,” said Susan Henry during the Township Committee’s Aug. 13 meeting. “Now it’s collecting more revenue that I have to come up with; more money for a project again that I didn’t even really want.”
Township Engineer Timothy Staszewski provided the committee with a quick update on the Lynnwood Farm’s pump station.
”About two weeks ago the contracts were just finalized; you should see work out there shortly,” said Mr. Staszewski.
Ms. Henry took the opportunity to question the committee in regards to the “sewage problem” during the public comment session.
”Can you define shortly,” Ms. Henry asked.
Mr. Staszewski said that the committee authorized his office to go out to bid for renovations to the pump station.
”The contract was awarded at the last meeting,” he said, adding that the pre-construction meeting was held about a week or so ago.
He noted that the contractor is providing his office with “cut sheets of what they are going to provide equal to the contract.”
”That should take a couple of weeks to finalize,” he said. “When that’s approved by our office we will actually physically order the equipment so depending on the time that equipment comes will depend when it will start.”
She said that the pump station has been “out” since December.
”If there are savings that have been derived from the failure and non-operation of the plant for a period of time then those will be reflected in the fact that we won’t pay as much money out of our budget this year as we would’ve paid last year,” said Chief Financial Officer Joseph Monzo. “So those operational costs will basically become a surplus to the utility.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Staszewski said that the scope of the project includes the removal and replacement of the pump rail system; the removal and replacement of the circuit system that supplies power to the sump pump in the flow meter manhole; the removal and replacement of the sump pump; and the removal and replacement of the existing flow meter and totalizer.
The total cost of the project is $26,180.
”The pumps were previously repaired through the operator who found that the rail system and the mounting system had failed since then,” he said.
The problem with the pumps was figured out about a month ago by the operator, Bradd Deveroux, of State Environmental Services Inc.
”It wasn’t found out by the operator until a month ago that that was actually one of the problems and that was temporarily clamped to get the pumps to operate properly,” he said.
Ms. Henry questioned if the pumps are still in good shape.
”The pumps are operating properly, its other amenities within the station itself that need to be repaired,” he said, adding it is a common problem.
”This system was installed in 2007 so it’s not even 10 years old yet and we have all these issues,” she said.
She inquired if any of it is still under warranty.
”No the warranty was a two-year bond period, which would have exceeded by now,” he said.
He said that he would “touch base” with the operator to see if there was any extension on the warranty with the last repair that was done.
”Well I wish that you would do that so that it doesn’t come back on the homeowners again,” she said. “I appreciate that.”
Next, she questioned him on how it was going to be assessed to those residents on the sewage system.
”The township did a sewer capital ordinance I want to say in April or May that allowed us to put the funding in place to award a contract to whoever is going to do the work,” Mr. Monzo said. “The debt service associated with the costs of those improvements will be burdened by the users of the system and the rates will be adjusted to reflect.”
He noted that the sewage utility is “self-sustaining, self-liquidating.”
”So the revenue we collect from the sewer utility pays for the things associated with the operation,” he said. “The utility has to generate enough revenue to sustain the known and estimated costs for the budget year.”
He noted that the budget for the sewer utility for the year is $40,000. It’s about $10,000 a quarter, he added.
”This cost I believe is like $75,000, so since we don’t have that amount of revenue in our sewer budget we will issue debt to pay for it,” he said, adding that over time it will be paid back.
Ms. Henry questioned why the residents have to pay for the malfunction in the system.
”Why do we have to consume that cost,” she asked.
Mr. Monzo noted that they are the “users of the system.”
The utility was set up for the users on the Lynnwood Farm sewer system.
”Nobody else outside of the town uses that system,” he said. “Like any other utility that’s established in the State of New Jersey it’s a rate-based utility that is for the benefit of a select number of property owners,” he said.
She questioned if their rates would be raised to “satisfy the debt service.”
”That’s a real possibility,” he said.
”More customers have been added to our sewer system,” she said. “That was the dream if we got more people on, the rates would either stabilize or possibly go down but now there is no way our rates are going to go down.”
She noted they are up to 34 users on the system.
”I think its 41 (users) so we are seven people short,” she said. “So it’s not going to go down even if those seven people get onboard is there a possibility it will be lowered.”
He said he would not answer “yes or no to that question.”
”What I will say is that when we look at 2015’s budget we are required by law to look first at how much money we collected in 2014 as revenue that’s the maximum rolled out that we anticipate next year without a rate adjustment,” he said. “So if those seven individuals generate extra money over and above what we thought then that money is available to you to use in the future years.”
He noted that the third quarter of 2014 sewer revenue “didn’t change that dramatically” with the new users.
She noted that her water bill for the quarter was $510.
”My septic cost me $350 like every two years,” she said. “I know we have it based upon water, which is a blessing compared to the other people that receive sewage, but we are getting close to almost $2,000 a year for a system that doesn’t even work properly.”
She noted that she is the only one who “comes and speaks.”
”I know Mr. Monzo, you’ve said that many times, I’m the only one who comes and speaks,” she said. “If the other people benefit by that then so be it I’ve done my job as a citizen in this community.”

