Hopewell Township sewage system users will spend $22,500 for an initial month-long study of why clean water may be getting into the system from the Brandon Farms, a 1990’s-era development of more than 2,000 units of stores and single-family, townhouse and 55-and-older homes south of the Pennington Circle.
The study seeks to identify and then eliminate sources of extraneous flows that are increasing the regional sewage agency system’s operating costs.
In December an internal audit of sewage flows in the Brandon Farms wastewater collection system revealed abnormally high daily flows, said a press release from Paul Pogorzelski, township administrator and engineer. This is an indication that extraneous water, such as groundwater or other outside sources, are infiltrating the system, he wrote.
These abnormally high flows are a factor in the larger-than-normal wastewater treatment costs for the Brandon Farms system. Since the system users pay all costs of operation, including treatment costs to the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority (ELSA), officials say “it is necessary and prudent to engage in a study to pinpoint the sources and stop the extraneous flow.”
A Phase 1 analysis of wastewater flows to the Brandon Farms pumping station will be performed to determine the extent of extraneous flow occurring from the major service areas within the overall tributary area to the pumping station (as well as the overall tributary area) during a period of significant rainfall or high groundwater conditions.
Wastewater flow meters will monitor wastewater flows in the system on a 24/7 basis from mid-March through mid-April. A computer model will be created to log water usage in the system and water used will be compared to flows into the wastewater system.
Should Phase 1 indicate significant extraneous flows in any service area, a more intense system investigation designed to locate the sources could be considered by the township.
The cost of the Phase 1 study will be $22,500, to be paid by the users of the wastewater system.
In addition to the abnormally high flows, the December audit also revealed that there are less than a dozen new users in the Brandon Farms sewer system area that have not received bills for their sewer service.
These users, some of which are commercial, have since been billed for services not previously invoiced and a process has been implemented to insure such billing errors will not occur again, said Mr. Pogorzelski. Revenue for sewage usage not previously billed will replenish surplus for the ELSA system, he said.
