In our review of a bid packet a Berkeley Heights resident obtained from the township and provided to NJ21st we discovered further DEP citations in addition to the two we’ve already reported on. In its April 4, 2024 letter, the DEP cited the Township for serious deficiencies at its lined equalization basin. The basin is an important part of the system – designed to hold excess wastewater during storms (up to 3.5 million gallons).

The DEP found that the Township never submitted the required liner integrity test certification due back in 2020. Without proof that the liner is intact, there is no way to ensure wastewater isn’t seeping into groundwater.

The Department also reported that level sensors in both basins were not working. Without alarms or monitoring, operators could not be alerted to overflows (the basins sit nearly a quarter mile from the plant.)

The DEP noted sludge, solids, and leaves in both basins, even though the Township’s policies require cleaning twice a year. The last documented cleaning (as of the date of the inspection) was in 2018.

Records of required annual liner and piping inspections were also missing, and DEP noted the facility’s O&M Manual hadn’t been updated since 2006.

In its letter, the DEP required

-A liner integrity test – within 60 days

-Immediate cleaning of the basins and a return to a 2x/year cleaning schedule

-Begin/document annual liner and piping inspections

-Repair/replace level sensors

-Update and resubmit its O&M Manual with updated protocols

This third letter reinforces concerns about systemic accountability and oversight issues at the sewage plant.

Last night I sent an email to the Mayor and Town Council:

“Good Evening,
As I continue reviewing the bid packet (which was posted on a different portal than the one I had originally accessed), I’ve come across some concerning documents. I’ve vetted and written about two so far:

Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Cited for Reporting and Environmental Violations

Second DEP Letter Cites Stormwater Violations at Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant

Both violation packets I reviewed were sent directly to the Mayor via certified mail based on the documents I reviewed. I don’t recall these ever being discussed publicly. While I do remember DEP violations being mentioned in a general sense, I have not seen any reporting or disclosure on the nature of the violations. From what I can tell, there are violations across five permit areas, and the two I’ve reviewed involve serious infractions with potential public health consequences. I did a (very) deep dive trying to find any public mention, and came up empty.

A few questions I’d like clarity on:

Is this connected to the discussion we had regarding DeBlock and the reporting issue? If so, and if the problem was truly on them, why is the Township covering those costs or continuing to do business with them? In that same meeting you praised the administrator of the plant for the work he was doing – can you help reconcile these citations with that position?
I noticed the lab errors nearly always under-reported violations, seldom (if ever) over-reporting. Has that pattern been acknowledged or addressed?
Is there a record of a detailed discussion or written material on this issue?
Was there any documented effort to inform families in the community?
Was this issue ever brought to the attention of the Board of Education, given the District is likely one of the highest users of the sewer system — and given the potential public health implications for students and staff?

Thank you in advance “

Of the six violations connected to water quality alone, the DEP found four were either indicated as “Serious”, “Significant Non-Compliance” or both with the majority listing a “Pending” remediation status.

I also emailed the Township Administrator offering her the opportunity to comment on 09/08 and 09/09 after the publication of the first two articles and will do the same for this one.

Lastly, since the documents on the Township portal were not fully made known to the public and highly disjointed in it’s presentation with most photographs either appearing to be cut off or missing entirely – we requested full reports from the NJ DEP.

We will continue coverage of the remaining violations over the next two days.

We will publish responses from the Mayor, Council Members and/or Township Administrator if received.

We will publish the full reports with photographs when we obtain them from the NJ DEP.

Source Document

Source for Table

Emails Sent to Township Administrator, Mayor and Council Members

See All Articles on the Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Violations on Our Wiki

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