- 1 Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 12 March '86

By Unanimous Vote

Health Board Asks Building Ban

By E. J. Duffy ERMA — Health board members are asking Council this week for a townshipwide building ban following reports of contaminated wells in two subdivisions here "Disturbing" was how Township Manager James R. Stump described to Council last week a county Health Department report on high nitrate levels in nearly 50 wells within Breakwater Estates and Breakwater Village. Homes in both subdivisions have wells and septic tanks. "High nitrate levels may result from malfunctioning septic systems and/or nitrogen fertilizers," Clay C. Sutton, the department's environmental program administrator, wrote affected homeowners Feb. 24 in a letter Stump released March 3. The following night, the local health board voted unanimously to request Council impose a building moratorium. Voting for it were Mary Ellen Daino, Earl Klinger. Arthur Glass and chairman Cass Clark. Absent were members Dr. Clayton Carr, Mayor Robert Fothergill and Councilman David F. Brand Jr. Brand sat in on discus- ' sion of the topic, but left early to attfl| another meeting. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND how a builder was able to build that big, even in 1974- *75, without putting in (sanitary) sewers." Glass said Friday of subdivision developers, and his argument for the ban last week. "Everywhere you turn in the township it seems you have a water problem — either nitrates or salt water intrusion " Clark said of reasoning behind a township-wide moratorium request. "So we're asking for a ban on all building." In a letter she planned to deliver to Council members Monday or Tuesday, the health board linked water problems to "bad planning" that allowed housing in poorly drained areas — a practice that persists. Clark complained Friday. If approved, the moratorium could bring to a scpeeching halt "a lot of projects flying right now." according to township Planning director Harry W. McVey, declining comment Friday on the propriety of the proposed ban. He estimates, though, that it would immediately stop 100 housing units "set to go or almost set to go in Diamond Beach" with another 200 planned there next year. That's not counting hundreds of others in varying stages of planning. Also banned now. McVey said, would be about 100 houses in Tranquility Park. Cold Spring, builder Jack Bowman's ongoing construction in Bavside Village. Villas, and his plans for an initial 20 homes in Cape Woods, west of Fishing Creek Road. NURSING HOMES PLANNED for Cold Spring and North Cape May also would be stopped by any moratorium. McVey said. "My reaction is. certainly if they nave a problem with that, it's justified." Bowman said of the proposed building ban. But. he noted earlier, "I think that the first thing a builder would move to do" would be limit the moratorium to affected areas "I just hope that reason will prevail." Bowman added, noting that "there's a lot of people down here, who work for builders, who would be affected by that (ban)." Testing more than 200 Villas wells in September 1984. the county Health Department found evidence 1 15 parts per million (ppm) of chloride] of salt water intrusion in 146 of them. "However, you can have up to 250 ppm in your water before it is considered unsafe." Stump wrote Council the following February. "Only 33 wells of the 235 had -chloride levels at this concentration. (Sutton had reported 55 of 247 wells.)" "In addition. Stump added, "it was found that mainly the deep wells <80-135 feet) were the one with chloride pro blems... Shallow wells (25-80 feet » showed {3 little evidence of contamination "THEREFORE] IF AN individual is having a salt water problem, tl.e best way to correct this is to raise the well to draw off a different water source < aquifer)," he continued "This is a very economical solution." Stump wrote, "when you consider the ehormous costs i $5 million estimated > that Sould be involved in putting in a municipal ater system. "There is enough water in Cape May County to meet all our water needs." he

said, summarizing his report last March, "however, it has to be properly managed.' A month before, the township and Cape May settled a long-standing dispute over repair costs to city water lines in the township's Schellenger's Landing section where 10 million gallons a year had been leaking into Cold Spring ( Cape May) Inlet. Cape May's water system leaked 3.3 million gallons <3 percent) of the 158.9 million pumped from its wells in Lower Township last summer, City Manager Fred Coldren reported in December. While leakage was down from 40-60 percent in the past, he said, last summer's total volume was up 11 million gallons from the previous summer. THE CITY PLANS A fourth well in Lower which could adversely affect 20-40 township well owners with salt water intrustion, city engineer Bruce S. Graham told City Council in January. It's expected to cost $100,000. Unlike the township, the city is reviewing proposals to restrict growth and reduce water consumption because of salt water intrusion into its North Cape May wells. The city's also preparing a pilot reverse osmosis (desalinization) project. "We should have a moratorium on building" to preserve the water supply, Clark told Council during debate last month on a proposed ordinance that would allow houses on 67 undersized but sewered lots in R-3 (residential) zones. That measure was tabled for the fifth time last week. Some opponents of Ordinance 85-36 regard its adoption as a threat to their property values through increased housing density, and more strain on the water supply. Although a local recharge well will sup- - plement the Diamond Beach supply this summer, it currently draws water from Wildwood Water Co. wells in Rio Grande near Erma. Lower Township's MUA supplies 2,800 water customers from one Cold Spring well and two in North Cape May. LIKE CAPE MAY. HOWEVER, the MUA and water company tap the underground aquifers used by private well owners in Lower. "The results of this survey show a >• moderate incidence of nitrate concentra-( tions in excess of the... state standard of 10 V milligrams per liter in the potable water of the homes sampled," Sutton wrote 24 Breakwater Village home owners and 22 in Breakwater Estates.-

"We recommend," he continued, "that you have your water sampled by this department, or a... state certified private laboratory, for nitrates and fecal coliform (waste bacteria) if a malfunctioning septic system is suspected. " Children, three months to a year old, can contract cyanosis, the blue baby syndrome. from continuously high nitrate levels, according to county Health Officer Louis J. La manna That warning was sounded by Erma Park resident Charlotte Logue last fall when zoners voted 2-1 to approve a hardship variance for construction of a singlefamily home on an undersized Myrna Road lot. DR. RICHARD BARTHA. a Rutgers University microbiologist, told her that nitrates "will affect pregnant women; they cause blue babies (through lack of oxygen)," she said. "No soil will hold nitrates." Logue cautioned, noting that they also can cause upper respiratory ailments in some children. "We've already had major disasters in Lower Township with birth defects," said the relative of such a victim from several years ago. "They tried to blame it on pesticides (but) sewage could also have been causing it." Logue was trying to. stop the house variance for the undersized lot because she considered it poorly drained and likely to cause a nitrate pollution problem. With five members present and three voting, zoners approved the variance Sept. 3 after their engineer testified that a swale on the lot "would eliminate any new drainage problems for neighbors. " The health board, though, called for another percolation test of the lot. It had -asked zoners to furnish copies of "any resolutions granting relief (variances) to substandard lot in any area that does not have sewers" because of possible septic sywem contamination of wells." THE LOWER TOWNSHIP MUA has had some preliminary cost estimates for the installation of sewers in this neighborhood," Stump, MUA executive director, wrote council of the nitrateaffected subdivisions on Feb. 27. "^Ve will be contacting all of these hoipeoWners to see if they are interested in v_ihe installation of sewers." he added. "I will also contact representatives of the county ( HeaUh Department ) to insure that they stay on Top of this matter." "I just want td point out that there's a

ML ' v J „ k Dor is Ward HURRY l'P SUMMER — Cape May Court House Neighborhood Association members Susan Karaso. left. John Beitel and Judi Tinney model their most outrageous summer attire as a preview of their Hurry Up Summer bash, to be held Saturday. 8 p.m.. at Snicker's, 96th Street in Stone Harbor. The party will feature a summer fashion show with local models, a disc jockey, a white belly contest and prizes. For information call 465-4977 or 465-3963 in the evening.

nitrate problem south of the (Cape May) Canal," Cold Spring resident Edward J. DeWitt said of his neighborhood at Council's meeting last week. Lower's MUA investigated, but most property owners rejected as too expensive last year, sewers for Baywood Park, a Fishing Creek subdivision where overflowing septic tanks have been a cronic complaint. "With the problems with our water, if we can't have a moratorium on building how about a moratorium on sewers?" Councilman Joseph Lonergan asked during discussion about proposed development last June. "Somewhere along the line we have to stop." "I think the real issue here is the health hazard," Lee Stanton of Cape May Beach said at the time. "If you've got a hundred septic systems and a hundred (nearby) wells... you can't make me believe you're not going to have problems." D^GEST^I (From page 1) at preserving farm land. Kenneth D. Schellinger of Green Creek. 51, said he "sleeps in the bedroom I was born" on a farm his family has owned for 160 years. "My main interest is agriculture." he said, "but I work a job to survive." If appointed, he added, "You'll know where I stand all the time." Also interviewed was Robert Conover of Green Creek who said he wanted to know more about the board before seeking the appointment. Bonding Beach Work AVALON — Borough Council plans final action after a public hearing 10 a.m. tomorrow in Borough Hall on a bond ordinance (No. 192-86) that would authorize $1 .776,000 for beach protection projects Advisor Appointed - COURT HOUSE - Freeholders last I week interviewed and will be appointing I Mae Mackunis of Upper Township to a I vacancy on the county's Advisory ComI mission on the Status of Women I Mackunis said she has worked at Shore I JVlemorial Hospital. Somers Point, for 15 I years and lived in Upper for 8 1/2 years. I She'll replace Clare Walsh of North I Wildwood who left the county. I Duplex Burgled I SEA ISLE CITY — Resort police are I asking for information on the March 3 I burglary of a 44th Street duplex whose I elderly owners lost $11,000 in cash plus I jewelry and stock Certificates. The I burglary occured while the couple was I out between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Call I police at 263-4311. I Fire Damages Home COURT HOUSE — Strong winds fanI ned a Friday night blaze that destroyed I the second floor of Kenneth and Kate I Piatt's remodeled Hand Avenue' home, P leaving them and tenant Helen Zimmerman homeless Nearly 50 firefighters from Court House and Stone Harbor battled the fire for more than two hours i in 25-degree temperatures before bringing it under control. FTames were burning through the eaves when firemen arrived around 6:30 p.m. Passing the Buck TUCKAHOE — Upper Township's Committee adopted a resolution last week, asking the county MUA to cosign and. therefore, assume liability for developers' sewage discharge permits in the township. The state requires cosigners for permits on discharges ex- ( Page 65 Please)