North Jersey town OKs $600K to fix damage from April earthquake at wastewater plant
NEWTON — The Town Council has approved emergency funds to replace a piece of equipment at the wastewater treatment plant that officials say was damaged by New Jersey's early April earthquake.
The equipment, part of a series of six identical units, is known as a "rotating biological contactor" and turns within the flow of sewage through the plant to collect samples, Fred Margron, the plant's engineer, said at Wednesday's council meeting.
The device consists of a large steel shaft with collector plates attached. Margon said workers at the plant arrived on April 6, the day after the quake, and found the unit was not turning.
"It is believed the unit was damaged by the April 5 earthquake," the engineer said. Despite that, the quality of treatment has not been affected, and the plant is operating within its state license parameters, he said.
It was NJ's biggest earthquake in 140 years
The earthquake was centered in Tewksbury in Hunterdon County and registered magnitude 4.8, making it one of the strongest temblors ever detected in the region. The most powerful quake ever to hit New Jersey is thought to be a 5.3 quake centered on what is now Rockaway Township in 1783. An estimated 5.0 magnitude quake hit the state in 1884.
The April 5 event was felt from Virginia into New England. Damage was relatively minor, but a water main break in Randolph was blamed on the shaking and triggered a boil-water advisory in the Morris County town. The county also shut its administration building in Morristown after a gas leak blamed on the quake.
More than 150 aftershocks have been recorded since the April 5 tremor. Margron said the exact cause of the Newton unit's failure is still being investigated and a claim will be filed with the plant's insurance carrier.
Because the equipment collects sewage in the water, it "can get heavy," Magron said. That weight might explain why the particular unit failed.
The plant is located at the end of Moran Street and discharges into the Paulinskill.
The council voted 4-0 vote to declare an emergency, allowing for the financing and purchase of a replacement. The total amount of the appropriation is $582,900 and will be repaid over the next five years.
Margron said the replacement unit has been purchased and will be delivered by trailer truck shortly.
"Once it is delivered, it won't take long to get it online," he said.
Council also approves land sale, new zoning
At Wednesday's meeting, the council also approved the sale of two small parcels of town-owned land at the end of Dogwood Drive. The sale was to the state Department of Environmental Protection and expands state-owned land at the headwaters of the Pequest River, which eventually flows into the Delaware River.
The council also approved amendments to the zoning ordinance that restrict the number of bedrooms allowed in multi-family dwellings as well as parking requirements for those units.
More: Newton zoning changes would head off conversions of big homes to apartments
The changes were recommended by the town Planning Board which has seen requests to convert some of the large single-family homes in parts of town into apartments and single-occupancy units.
Also approved were the $25,000 purchase of a new Alcotest machine for the police department and a new street sweeper/vacuum unit.
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This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Newton NJ OKs $600K to fix earthquake damage at sewage plant
