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Three New Jersey Wastewater Treatment Plants Receive Top Honors from EPA; Cape May, Bayside State Prison and Lambertville Win Accolades for Well Run Wastewater Treatment Plants

Release Date: 10/19/2000
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(#00195) New York, New York – The Cape May Regional wastewater treatment plant was awarded a National Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence Award this week at a ceremony in Anaheim, California. The award is given to wastewater treatment facilities across the nation that are well run and maintained. In addition, the Bayside State Prison Wastewater Plant in Leesburg and the Lambertville Sewage Authority have both received regional honors for excellent operation and maintenance practices. The Cape May plant won first place in its category -- "medium-sized secondary treatment plants." The plant was the only national winner in New Jersey. The Cape May plant was honored for successfully handling severe flow fluctuations caused by regional flooding. These fluctuations could cause overflows and by-passes at the plant, but Cape May Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant is able to avoid these overflows using a programmable computer system that monitors and controls process equipment throughout the facility. Since they began using this system, the plant has never experienced an overflow or subsequent by-pass. EPA regional offices also give awards to wastewater treatment plants. This year, the Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, Cumberland County, won in the category of "small systems with advanced treatment." The plant was honored for major improvements, including the rehabilitation of sections of the sewage collection system and a water conservation audit of all equipment. These improvements have reduced the flow of wastewater to the plant by about 30,000 gallons per day. In the category of "medium plants with advanced treatment," EPA Region 2 honored the Lambertsville Sewage Authority. The plant was applauded for its strong commitment to public education. The plant has offered public tours for years, and recently formed an alliance with the New Jersey Museum Kaleidoscope Kids Camp, which brings its seven to 12 year old kids to the plant to learn about water conservation, wastewater and pollution. EPA has awarded National Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Excellence Awards to wastewater treatment plants since 1986. Each year, the national awards are presented at the Water Environment Federation’s national conference. There are more than 16,000 publicly owned and 60,000 industrially owned wastewater treatment plants in the United States. This EPA awards program recognizes select wastewater treatment plants or programs that have achieved excellent compliance results and have demonstrated an outstanding technological achievement, method, or device in their waste treatment and pollution abatement programs.