Community Corner

5 Billion Gallons of Sewage Overflowed to N.J. Post-Sandy, Report Says

18 of 20 largest sewage spills in the northeast were reported in New Jersey and New York.

New Jersey saw approximately 5.1 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage flow into waterways in the weeks and months following Superstorm Sandy, according to new data released by Climate Central.

In total, the eight states hardest-hit by the storm had 11 billion gallons flow into canals, rivers and bays.

"To put that in perspective, 11 billion gallons is equal to New York’s Central Park stacked 41 feet high with sewage, or more than 50 times the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The vast majority of that sewage flowed into the waters of New York City and northern New Jersey in the days and weeks during and after the storm," the Climate Central report said.

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Data included in the report was compiled from state agencies and treatment plant operators.

Contributing to the sewage overflow was actual damage to the treatment plants themselves as a result of the storm. Sewage overflows into the water continued from the day Sandy hit (Oct. 29) until January of this year, when the last known overflow was reported.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

New Jersey's largest spill was reported by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission in Newark in which 840 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Newark Bay. Within the two weeks that followed, 3 billion gallons more overflowed into the bay while the plant was being restored, according to the report.

In Middlesex County, an additional 1.1 billion gallons reportedly flowed into local waterways. 

Click on the interactive map to see where sewage overflowed and the amounts.


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