Herald & lantern 4 April '84

Z

23

Sewerage Group Hasn’t Met in ’84

The 46-year-old Middle Township Sewage Treatment plant is administered by a three-member sewerage commission that includes John M. Ludlam, Leroy S. Westcott and Michael Vistenzo. Vistenzo also is township construction official and soiling officer. Westcott’s wife, Helen, is secretary Attorney John L. Ludlam is its solicitor. IN THE 15 MONTHS since January 1963, it has met four times: in January, March, August and September of 1963 and not once this year. The commission took in-$58,264 in 1963. That included 306 accounts that paid 175.90 apiece, 49 that paid $99.36,41 that paid odd amounts totaling $7,796, and $4,708 from the county, $7,640 for two years from Middle Township schools, $5,225 from Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital, and $4,647 from Murphy Mart. The 1984 budget is prepared, but not adopted. AT ITS DECEMBER 1982 meeting, a public hearing, it okayed a 15 percent rate increase'effective Jan. 1,1983.

This was done, according to its resolution “...in order to have the necessary funds to maintain and improve the said facilities. “It wasn’t really to update,’' said Vistenzo last week. r “We put in some new equip ment, pre-chlorinators, to become more efficient.’' Although Vistenzo says the plant has additional capacity, tt^e commission's minutes include several references that indicate concern about capacity. LAST AUGUST. Jpr example, the minutes said, "Mikbrought up the fact that we should do something about the plant as the trouble at Jamesway was bad. and they have been paying $16,000 a year for cleaning out the tanks.’ 4 At that meeting, the commission approved a resolution to apply to the Farmers Home Administration for a loan “to upgrade the sewerage treatment from primary to secondary and in order to extend the present existing system to include new users.”' Barbara Beitel, Middle Township grants

Pollution Charge

coordinator, said the commission asked her to check that. She said she found that some low-interest money might be available, but the commission would risk having the MUA take over the plant Vistenzo also blamed the threat of eventual MUA control for the commission’s unwillingness to borrow funds for improvements. “FOU THE SIZE and where the plant is at, there’s not room to do much except build a new plant," added Vistenzo. But

(the state) Highways (Authority) is talking about a Stone Harbor interaection, so there’s no sense in staying in the same area. “Everybody wants to throw potshots at us." be said. “Nobody wants to help us. The MUA is booking up the seashore resorts and not doing anything for the mainland. If you can get a straight answer out of therri. I’d like to bear it.” The MUA’s timetable calls for a new plant to serve Middle Township by 1968, be said. /

Many Want to Hook Up-

(From Page 1) tract fronts on Route 9 and Magnolia, be said. s/ The sewage treatment plant has a 100,000-gallons-per-day capacity and averaged 73,000 gallons a day last month, according to operator Walt Tumier. HERE'S A LIST of the most recent applicants for service: ; _ 1 Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital addition; 69 more beds within a year. At 200 gallons per bed, an admittedly high estimate, but one used by DEP, uoult^add 13,800 gallons. Status: connected. Romney Associates; 19-home subdivi-

sion. Application estimated 5,700 additional gallons per day. Status, approved, lines laid. Jamesway Plaza. Estimated 10.000 gallons Status: on hold Court House Convalescent Center. Estimated 12,000 gallons. Status: on hold. Mister Donut. No estimate, but small flow. Status: no decision. Cape Shore Orthopaedic Associates. No ‘ estimate, but small- flow. Status: no decision. Burke Motors No estimate, but small ' flow. Status: no decision.

( Totally Untrue Pick Grace For Silver Beaver

Charges by the Cape May County Environmental Council that the Middle Township Sewer Plant has been polluting local waterways are “totally untrue and a complete lie. according to Michael Vistenzo of the sewerage commission. He said the plant’s effluent is tested weekly and has a fecal coliform reading of 4 or 5 mg/1 (milligrams per literrieompared to the allowed 200. The January average was 26; February, less than 5, he said. A one-year statistical profile previously

"Without Asking (From Page 1) said the sewer connection had never been mentioned at commission meetings. Engineer A1 Herman, who oversees sewer line construction for the authority, said he knew nothing about the motel being connected. Rapid purchased the Hy-Land from Rene Weber for $560,000 a year ago. Weber originally bought the motel from Reptti in 1974 and added a 10-efficiency unit to its 22 rooms. Weber said he had added a septic system for the new unit and had “no problems.'"

More Middle Sewage (From Page 1) “I CALLED FRED and said, ‘What’s going on?’ ” said Mayer, “and I was told existing data indicates sufficient caparity for us and another 20,000 gallons. “The seller is in charge of getting us the approvals,” pointed out Mayer. Sale price of the 2V* acres has not been disclosed, but Mayer said the entire project will cost $4 million, with $3 million going for construction, the remainder for equipment and purchase of the land. The names of Repiri, Schmidt, Tozour and Kerr have surfaced in still another connection to the sewage treatment plantThe sewerage commission last Sept. 1 approved a resolution to extend existing sewer lines along East Romney Place and Crest Road to serve 19 proposed single family dwelling units. Approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) came on Feb. 2. /*\ / ROMNEY ASSOCIATES/^* identified on its application as a partnership, with Repiri listed as a partnerj The commission’s minutes specified thateOpies of its resolution go “to Tom Repiri or Fred Schmidt” Vistenzo said be understood that Tozour and Kerr also was involved with that project. The 144-bed nursing home would add 12,000 gallons a day, according to Mayer and Vistenzo. That’s based on 82 gallons per day per bed. DEP uses 200 gallons per bed per day, but acknowledges that’s a high estimate.

released by the county Planning Department showed wily several high* readings, one last June 31, on last’July 7. They were both 2,400 MPN (most probable number), the highest that can be measured. “What happened then. I don’t know,” said Vistenzo. Vistenzo said the plant has a 100,000-gallons-a-day capacity and an average daily flow of 60,000 to 70,000 gallons. “If there’s a bad rain," he said, “we get in the 90,000 bracket. That’s rain water. It’s not like getting a rank bunch of sewage." That could be a problem, he said, if the flow is so high that the sewage doesn't get enough settling time and doesn’t have enough contact with chlorine to have its bacteria] killed. “Then you’d be putting out stuff higher (in fecal coliform) than you're supposed to," he said. But this is not yet a problem, be said. “We have a problem with infilitratkn water getting into the system when it rains and we have a high water table," he said. “The MUA investigated the lines five years ago and said that it was a problem and had to be addressed. “But they never say you go ahead and do this,” concluded Vistenzo.

on Hold Romney's 19 homes would use 5,700 gallons based on 300 gallons per home, a figure that assumes 2V> persons per house. Vistenzo has at various times estimated the Jamesway Plaza would add 6,000,8,000 or 10,000 gallons to the sewage treatment plant. HE POINTED OUT that the county Health Department has suggested the Jamesway hook-up because its present septic system overflows and is “a health haxard.” “Our health officer asked us to please pick U up," said Vistenzo. “Now we’re being told we have a lousy plant.” Vistenzo said Romney was “an old subdivision that had to put sewage in. The developer put in an interceptor line a year ago. The ground is too low. Without it, they would have had to do a lot of filling for septic tanks and that’s not practical." A source told the Herald the addition of “city sewage to the subdivision probably added $1,500 to $2,000 to the price of the homes. Apparently only one has been completed. THE PROPOSED nursing home would be the second in the county owned by Hospicomm. It opened Eastern Shore Nursing Home in Swain ton last September. The proposed home would have a 120-bed convalescent unit and an “adult medical day-care center" with capacity for 27 patients. It would employ 100 persons. “They’d have to have dty sewage," said Vistenzo. “It’s a good ratable, serves a good purpose, puts people to work. I think it's a good idea.”

DENNISVILLE - Robert A. Grace, .scoutmaster of Boy Scout'.Troop 56, sponsored /by the Ruritan Club, and a veteran for 30'years in scouting, has been selected for'tbejoevemenfkbighest r award, the Silver Beaver. Grace began his association with scouting as a boy in Troop 65, Court House, in 1954. He attainedJbe rank of Life Scout as a member of Explorer Post 65, and as an adult was an assistant cubmaster. He became assistant

he currently serves as a director. A MEMBER OF the New Jersey national Guard since 1961, he was commander of Battery B 1970-72. He was picked Company Grade Officer of the Year of the 50th Armored Division Artillery in Court House in 1971, and in 1972 Battery B was picked as the best company-sized unit in the New Jersey National Guard, receiving the Eisenhower Trophy

< Grace holds a commission as major in the Army Reserves, and is county supply officer for the County Office of Emergency Management He is a member of Cannon Masonic Lodge 104, F. and A.M., chairman of the administrative board and a lay speaker at the Den nisvilk United Methodist Church. He is also a volunteer fireman with 15 years of service.

scoutmaster of Troop 75 of Wildwood in 1962 and a committee member for Cub Pack 60 of Dennisvilie in 1965. He became scoutmaster of his troop in 1976. GRACE HAS BEEN an instructor for several scout leader development courses. The Bayses District recognized him as Scooter of the Year in I960 and gave him the District Award of Merit in 1962. Grace is married and has

two sons, both of whom are _

in scouting, and attended the National Scout Jamboree in 1961. The older son, Jeffrey, attained the rank of Eagle Scout and is serving with the Army in Germany. The younger son, Timothy, became a

Star Scout.

A member of township government for six years, he served two years as mayor. He was president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities in 1980. A charter member who helped organize the Cape May County United Way,

NEWS COUPON'—| | Hert't a coupon you eon dip and save. If. el tone time, yot3 I Imok of tomeoiu or something me should write m story aboulM let us know. ~ ?*■ - | Include any details we may meed (name, addresses, telephoaM

I numbets, eta) and a brief description.

It may not be passible to use emery suggestion, but wr’njj

looking for ideas.

■ Also use the coupon for comments. Tell us what you like a

don’t like.

Istafyita: /

I |foflune»te: I

I

na» ■* it JOCTH ZELNOi. orrot

HERALD AN» UCTEB*

P.0.MX4M CAPE MAY CT. BSL. AJ. M2I4 ,

TTUPHONL 4*55*55

I

I