Work is about to begin on a $5.87 million sewer decommissioning project in Oakland to ensure the safe disposal of sewage from areas now served by three aging treatment plants.
Contractor Pacific Construction began drilling “test holes” on June 20 in preparation for the start of work to install a sewer line at the intersection of Ramapo Valley Road and West Oakland Avenue, according to an automated call and a notice on the Borough’s website.
“After that, a decision will be made for the official start date of the works,” the notice reads.
The DEP initially fined the borough $795,224 for failing to maintain and monitor the system. That fine was lowered to $421,724 on condition the borough adheres to a strict schedule to replace treatment plants with pump stations that will deliver sewage to the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority connection point in Franklin. Lakes.
Mayor Linda Schwager warned in her robocall that the lines are only meant to serve her current 215 residential accounts and 20 business accounts. They will not provide the long-sought service for the borough’s central business district or other residents currently on septic systems.
However, the project will require the installation of four sewer lines totaling 3.1 miles along some of the borough’s busiest roads:
- Franklin Avenue: 1.7 miles from Ramapo Valley Road to the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority connection at the Highway 287 overpass at Franklin Lakes;
- Ramapo Valley Road (Highway 202): 0.6 mile from Franklin Avenue to East Oak Street, including part of the borough’s central business district and the 0.2 mile western end of Yawpo Avenue, the main access road to Indian Hills High School;
- Hiawatha Boulevard: 0.6 miles from Mountain Lakes Road to Monhegan Avenue;
- Lake Avenue: 0.2 miles from Forest Street to Franklin Avenue.
The borough expects to maintain “two-way” traffic during the “long” installation, but this traffic will be “impeded by construction”. No schedule or sequence of installations has been announced.
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The borough engineer advised in 2017 that the three plants discharging treated water into the Ramapo River were nearing the end of their useful life.
However, it was not until DeBlock Environmental took over operation of the plants that it was discovered that the retiring licensed sewer operator had either “failed to perform quarterly chronic monitoring and reporting”. for long periods of time or had used testing methods that were “inadequate”. to determine compliance” with EPD standards.
When DeBlock conducted the tests in 2018, it reported:
- Skyview Processing Plant: E.coli Effluent at 2420 per 100 millimeters, when the maximum is 126 per 100 milliliters, one of 29 results above the limit.
- Chapel Hill Processing Plant: copper effluent at 32.73 micrograms per liter, when the limit is 7.57, one of 12 results above the limit.
- Oakwood Knolls Processing Plant: E.coli Effluent at 609 per 100 milliliters, when the maximum is 126, one of five results above the limit.
The DEP initially fined the borough $795,224 for failing to maintain and monitor the system. That fine was lowered to $421,724 on condition the borough adheres to a strict schedule to replace treatment plants with pump stations that will deliver sewage to the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority connection point in Franklin. Lakes.
According to a Borough report September 2020 on the project.
According to the report, sewer customers do not receive a separate assessment for the repair project, and their annual sewer rates will remain “about the same.” Annual average residential sewer charges are projected to increase from $1,812 in 2022 to $1,839 in 2023 and $1,866 in 2024.
Marsha Stoltz is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @marsha_stoltz
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