The Hammonton Gazette 03/26/14 Edition | Page 4

Drip irrigation plan approved by Pinelands Comm. Wednesday, March 26, 2014 • The Hammonton Gazette • Page 3 WASTEWATER, from Page 1 avenue and Moss Mill road beginning in the spring of 2015 received approval from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission on March 14, according to Mayor Stephen DiDonato and a copy of the Pinelands approval. the town is still waiting for approval from NJDeP on the treat- ment works permit, according to Councilman edward Wuillermin. the purpose of the drip irrigation plan is to eliminate the discharge of treated sewer effluent from Hammonton Wastewater treatment Plant into Hammonton Creek (often referred to in municipal discussions as “the stream”), which is the demand of the SPRING HAS SPRUNG THE GRASS HAS RIS I WONDER HOW MY AIR CONDITIONER IS? Don’t sweat it, call Broadley’s! Keith Galletta (609) 561-1616 Interest Free Financing/Rebates. ENERGY CONSERVATION Pinelands Commission. DiDonato, who stated publicly at a council meeting earlier in March that the town was almost on a moratorium because of the issues with the sewer plant and its effluent discharge, said there are actually two reasons to remove the treated sewer effluent from the stream. “Number one, we’re out of the stream. Number two, it’s important for moving forward for the future growth of the town, to resolve this issue that’s been going on since the early ‘90s,” DiDonato said. DiDonato said the town is working to avoid another moratorium, which crippled growth in Hammonton during the 1980s by eliminating the ability to extend sewer lines and have new growth. “everybody worked in unison toward a common goal. We all felt that it was in the best interests of the town to not go into a moratorium situation with the Pinelands like we did in the 1980s. We all worked together in unison, ‘we’ being council, arH and ray ferrara of Omni associates,” DiDonato said. for more than 20 years, the town has continued to discharge treated sewer effluent into the stream, DiDonato said, but he said the situation could no longer remain the same. DiMeglio Septic, NJSL6077 • NJ HIC License #13VH01292800 Est. 1975 ~ DEP 03261 ~ Paul DiMeglio Inc. 1 (800) 427-4617 ~ 561-1007 ~ 561-3597 491 S. White Horse Pike • Ancora, NJ • Grease Trap Cleaning • Portable Toilets • Septic Certifications • Jetting Service Introducing “We tried to work with Pinelands to stay in the stream to some degree, and unfortunately Pinelands felt they couldn’t live with that any longer and Hammonton had to be out of the stream,” DiDonato said. according to DiDonato, drip irrigation has been discussed since 2010. there have been public concerns about whether or not underground irrigation with treated sewer effluent at soccer fields where children play is acceptable. DiDonato said the fields would be monitored. “they will have sensors out there. the lower drip will not come into play with the soccer players. the upper drip will feed the plant through the root. You will not want any water within two inches of the surface, or any ponding. You don’t need it. it’s going to be between six and eight inches. You will have moisture sensors that can shut down the system if water gets within two inches of the turf, or of grade. i don’t believe that it’s an issue, but ‘belts and suspenders,’ and it’s another safeguard,” DiDonato said. the fields will also be watered 10 to 12 hours before they are used, allowing for the treated sewer effluent to seep further into the soil and not be on the playing surface at game time, DiDonato said. Currently, the town is preparing to use the 26 acres that will be receiving the overland drip irrigation, the mayor said. “the first step in the process is we already brush-hogged 26 acres which will receive overland drip. We are going to lay drip in this overland area in the woods. that is scheduled to be done in summer and fall of 2014. the fields – the four new recreation fields that were constructed a year ago – will receive the drip beginning in spring 2015,” DiDonato said. Unlike previous attempts to move the treated sewer effluent from Hammonton Creek and into slit trenches on town-owned land near Boyer avenue, the drip irrigation effort will use the majority of the site beginning with the overland drip this summer and continuing next year with the underground two-tiered drip irrigation, the mayor said. “the difference now is that before with the slit trenches, we had more than 100 acres out there and we were only using about 30 to 40 acres of it with the slit trenches. Now this will be using closer to the 100 acres, with the brushhogged area, the slit trenches, the new soccer fields and eventually the old soccer fields,” DiDonato said. 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