Shark River Contaminated By Human Waste

Belmar is considering closing the L Street Beach after it was discovered that sewer pipes were leaking human waste into the Shark River.

A violation notice from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said pipes were leaking from sanitary sewers in the area of K Street and Route 35. During periods of heavy rain, the wastewater will mix with stormwater and rise up from the sewers and into the street, with the waste secreting into the Shark River.

Jimmy McNamara, president of the Shark River Cleanup Coalition, said:

Their pipes are like Swiss cheese. We’re talking about sanitary sewer lines. The pipes that are supposed to carry what you flush down the toilet to the treatment plant.

The borough of Belmar says that they are working to fix the problem, but the NJDEP cited numerous instances where the township has not reported issues or kept up with maintenance or inspections.

This is awful, especially because I have such a fondness for Belmar. My grandparents lived there, so I have a ton of great family memories, and I still love going there now. I tend to stay on the oceanside rather than the riverside, but reading the full story about the state of the town's sewage system is worrisome in general.

[via APP]

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