The Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority’s daily flow increased 50% during the recent extreme rain events. In addition, the flow continues to be well above normal as a result of illegal sump pump connections to the sanitary sewer system.
While the Authority has not experienced overflows with raw sewage going into nearby water bodies as has happened in other Authority’s around New Jersey, the impact is still felt and the cost will be borne by all ratepayers.
High ground water tables have caused sump pumps to run over time pumping out basements. The Authority has identified through internal television inspection of sewer pipes, that there are a number of illegal connections throughout the system where people have tied their sump pumps into the sanitary sewer instead of discharging into the street or into the storm sewer as required by law. One sump pump running for 10 minutes an hour is the equivalent of 12 homes normal sewage use. This costs the Authority and ultimately its ratepayers in excess of $4,000 per year per illegal sump pump connection.
In addition to the added costs, these illegal connections can cause overflows of sewage into streams and into neighbor’s residences. It is important for every homeowner to inspect and confirm that their sump pumps and roof leaders are not connected to the sewer system. If they are, they should contact their plumber and have them redirected either to the street or to the ground surface around their property.