Debris and Waste Spoils Beautiful Day at the Beach
According to a report by the the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection dangerous waste was recently found on beaches in the state. The waste that washed up on the beaches in northern Ocean County included used syringes and plastic tampon applicators according to local officials.
Residents reported and authorities confirmed that trash and debris was found on beaches in Mantoloking, Brick, Toms River, Lavallette and Berkeley.
photo/ H. Hach
The DEP spokesman, Larry Hajna, released a statement saying that “The trash is typical of what is found in combined sewer system overflows – trash, plastic tampon applicators, syringes that people flush down the toilet such as those used in home diabetes treatment.”
Despite the trash polluting the beaches, none of the beaches were closed to the public. Officials were actively working to eliminate the trash on the beaches and to restore them to a clean state.
Similar incidents occured last month when 13 Monmouth County beaches were discovered to be polluted with used syringes and other dangerous waste. At that time, all the beaches were temporarily closed down for a day to swimmers, surfers and sunbathers while the beaches were cleaned by authorities.
Officials believe that the trash that washed up on shore both in July and again in August originated from the outdated and overwhelmed sewer systems in northern New Jersey and possibly also in New York City. When these old sewers systems encounter heavy rains or other problematic conditions they tend to overflow. The effluent is then transported via the currents to the Jersey shore beaches.
The outdated and problematic sewers that tend to overflow are called combined sewers and are still found in many urban areas. They collect stormwater and sewage in one piping system rather than in separate systems. When conditions are ordinary, the water goes to treatment plants but when the system gets overwhelmed the overflow wastewater gets pushed out through outfall pipes, sometimes ending up on the shore.
When this occurs, it is typical to find debris including syringes and plastic tampon applicators on beaches as these are items that are regularly flushed down the toilet and which end up in the sewer system. The debris often originates in the New York because, unlike New Jersey, New York does not require control methods for combined sewer discharge outfalls that capture debris.
“Sewer problems often go undiagnosed until there is a major problem, as the lines are underground,” explains a New Jersey plumber who deals with plumbing repairs and emergencies in homes, businesses and in municipalities in the Garden State. To prevent emergency and costly situations, regular sewer inspections and maintenance are critical.
Author: Jacob Maslow
