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October 29, 2003
COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW (CSO) SEPARATION
PROJECT UPDATE
The
city’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project is a five-year
project to upgrade Rahway’s storm and sanitary sewer systems. The
project commenced in February 2000 and will be complete by
December 2004. The project is required as part of an
Administrative Consent Order reached with the city and the New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Many older areas of Rahway were constructed with a combined sewer
that carries both sanitary waste from homes and businesses as well
as stormwater runoff from streets and properties. Both the
sanitary waste and stormwater travel through this combined system
to the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority plant for treatment.
During heavy rainstorms, the system is unable to handle the
increased flow of water and waste and may be discharged into the
Rahway River and its tributaries. In addition to the health
hazards this may cause, city taxpayers were unnecessarily paying
for the treatment of stormwater at the RVSA facility.
The
combined sewer overflow and sewer separation project consists of
disconnecting the roadway storm sewer catch basins and pipes from
the remaining combined storm and sanitary sewer system. Once this
work is complete the potential for sanitary sewer overflow into
the local rivers will be eliminated, and therefore maintain and
improve the water quality of the rivers flowing from the city.
The construction portion of
this project is divided into two phases, Phases I and II. Phase I
construction is complete and was done by Niram, Inc. of Boonton,
New Jersey. Phase II construction is approximately 50 percent
complete and is being done by JFS Development and Associates, LLC
of Hackensack, New Jersey. The storm sewer separation work that
is underway this fall is or is being conducted along the following
streets: Bryant Street, West Milton Avenue, West Cherry Street,
Monroe Street, Main Street and East Cherry Street.
During 2004, the final phase of
the project will consist of testing and the closure of the
combined sewer overflow outlets to the rivers.
The cost of the project,
approximately $3,375,000.00, is funded through the New Jersey
Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program. |
