Winter poses unique challenges for wastewater treatment facilities in PA, NJ, and NY. Learn essential winterization tips to protect equipment, optimize processes, and ensure compliance. From insulating pipes to managing energy use, this guide covers everything wastewater operations and maintenance teams need to prepare for a smooth, efficient winter season.
Outsourcing wastewater operations and maintenance offers a strategic advantage for both public and private sector wastewater treatment plant operators. By partnering with O&M specialists, plants can achieve operational excellence, cost efficiency, and enhanced compliance, all while contributing positively to environmental conservation. Visit www.oandmsolutions.com to discover how our custom O&M solutions can transform your wastewater management strategy.
The state of New Jersey (NJ) is a thriving state that is home to more than 9 million people as well as thousands of commercial businesses. Because of the high population density and thriving economy, it is necessary to have a water treatment system that is effective, dependable, and mindful of the surrounding environment. This blog post provides an overview of the complete water treatment services that are offered to clients in the public as well as private sectors in New Jersey. These services ensure that safe, clean, and drinkable water is readily available.
State governments always provide regulatory frameworks around water and wastewater treatment systems and operations in a given state. These frameworks dictate how water and wastewater systems must be set up, how they must be regulated and operated, who can operate water or wastewater facilities, and additional standards.
Read on to get a basic understanding of the laws that govern water and wastewater in New Jersey.
At O & M Solutions, we are leading providers of water and wastewater services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and parts of New York. For information or to learn more about what we offer, call (732) 965-5764.
Statewide rules around water and wastewater systems, including sewer and septic rules, exist to preserve or improve water quality and safeguard environmentally sensitive areas. The types of systems and facilities there are regulations around include the following:
Drinking water systems: public water distribution and treatment
Wells
Water allocation systems
Wastewater collection
Wastewater treatment
Different standards apply to these different types of systems.
There are federal laws around water treatment that are relevant to any state, which include the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA) and Clean Water Act (CWA). The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is actively involved in water treatment in this region, which is composed of about twenty Watershed Management Areas (WMAs).
The New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act Rules, last amended in 2017, enacted a variety of regulations, including recordkeeping and reporting guidelines, reporting of changes to plants/emergency protocols, bans on over-extended or inadequate systems, and standards around the managerial and technical competence of water systems.
There are very specific standards in numerous areas of drinking water systems, such as the following:
Physical connections and cross connection control by containment/construction standards
Construction standards for public community water systems
Construction standards for nonpublic water systems
Standards for technical, managerial, and financial capacity of public community and non-community water systems
Any system or facility operating outside of these stated standards will be subject to fines.
Wastewater collection and treatment in New Jersey is also subject to strict state-wide mandates. These extend to the numerous processes commonly used to treat wastewater, such as activated sludge/aerated lagoon, trickling filter/rotating biological contractor, methane collection/beneficial reuse, and more.
NJPDES programs ensure the proper treatment and discharge of wastewater, residuals, and stormwater by issuing permits that limit the concentration of pollutants that may be discharged into ground water or nearby water systems. There are standards around construction, capacity assurance, and ongoing monitoring.
To legally operate a water system or wastewater system in New Jersey, you must be licensed by the state. This will ensure that you fully understand the law of the land and can operate in a way that complies with all administrative codes.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a division of Water Supply and Geoscience, provides six license types for water and wastewater system operators. These relate to the type of wastewater or water system the operator will be working in:
Industrial Wastewater Treatment System (N License)
Public Wastewater Treatment System (S License)
Public Wastewater Collection System (C License)
Public Water Treatment System (T License)
Public Water Distribution System (W License)
Very Small Water System (VSWS License)
To earn a license, New Jersey standards include experience, education, and passing an exam. To maintain the license, operators must complete continuing education every three years and pass a retest.
O & M Solutions is a team of highly experienced water and wastewater facility management professionals. We provide an array of services to support new construction and existing facilities, including emergency assistance. For more information about what we can provide to support your company’s compliance with the laws governing water and wastewater in New Jersey, contact us today.
