1 SUSSEX COUNTY WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE SUSSEX COUNTY WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING AREA UPPER DELAWARE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREA WALLKILL WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING AREA PASSAIC WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING AREA DESIGNATED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANNING AGENCY: SUSSEX COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS PREPARED BY: SUSSEX COUNTY DEPT. OF ENGINEERING & PLANNING SUSSEX COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER ONE SPRING STREET NEWTON, N.J. (973) 579-0500 PRELIMINARY ADOPTION: NOVEMBER 7, 2007 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction…………………………………………………….. pg 4 A. Wastewater Planning B. Watershed Management Areas II. Summary Table of Significant Actions…………….……...….. pg 6 WMP Amendments Approved since Sept. 2001 III. Discussion of Wastewater Facilities and Septic Management.. pg 7 A. Water Quality Issues B. Alternative Treatments and Septic Management IV. Summary of Environmental Assessment and Analysis……… pg 8 A. Aquifer Recharge B. Carrying Capacity of the Land C. Environmental Analyses 1. Environmental Constraints/ Build-out Analysis 2. Nonpoint Source Pollutant Loading 3. Point Source Pollutant Loading Analysis 4. Groundwater Discharges (Nitrate Dilution) 5. Depletive/ Consumptive Water Use Analysis 6. Riparian Corridor Analysis 7. Endangered/ Threatened Species Analysis 8. Alternatives Analysis V. Discussion of Justification of Service Area Delineations……... pg 15 VI. Existing and Future Wastewater Treatment Facilities……… pg 19 A. Narrative of NJPDES Wastewater Treatment Facilities B. Facilities Tables Exhibit 1: Sussex County Wastewater Plan Amendments………. pg 17 Approved since Sept. 2001 Exhibit 2: Sewer Allocations for Sussex County……………….. pg 18 Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) and Musconetcong Sewerage Authority (MSA) APPENDIX A – Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDLs) for Stream Segments And Lakes within Sussex County APPENDIX B – Population APPENDIX C – Natural Resources Inventory APPENDIX D – List of Source Documents APPENDIX E – Summary of Wastewater Treatment Facilities 3 Maps for Sussex County Wastewater Management Plan Map #1: Planning Area Map #2: Existing Wastewater Facilities and Service Areas Map #3: Future Wastewater Facilities and Service Areas Map #4: Generalized Zoning Map Map #5: Environmental Features a. Highlands Preservation and Planning Areas, Public Open Space and Recreation, Conservation Lands (incl. Preserved Farms) b. Stream Classifications, Stream Buffers, Flood Prone Areas c. Watershed Boundaries (for HUC-11 and HUC-14), Wetlands d. Natural Heritage Priority Sites e. Landscape Project Areas (Rank 3, 4 and 5) Map #6: Sussex County Strategic Growth Management Plan – Landscapes Map #7: Wellhead Protection Areas in Sussex County 4 I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (WMP) for Sussex County. The WMP has been submitted to the New Jersey Department of En- vironmental Protection for approval so that it may be incorporated into the Sussex County Water Quality Management Plan via the plan amendment procedure (N.J.A.C. 7:15). Section 208 of the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1972 requires the development of area-wide Water Quality Management Plans (WQMP) as an overall document relating to water quality, and included as part of the WQMP is a Wastewater Management Plan. The Sussex County WMP, referred to as the “plan” in this document, includes maps and narratives depicting the location, capacity, ownership, operator, and type of all wastewater treatment facilities in the County. The plan also sets out the framework for the control and mitigation of non-point source pollution from human activities such as urban development, agriculture, failing septic systems and the like. When the first WQMP was prepared in 1976, Sussex County was the area-wide designated Wa- ter Quality Planning Agency with jurisdiction outside the County in parts of Jefferson, Mt. Ar- lington, Mount Olive and Roxbury that lie in the Musconetcong watershed. Sussex County is currently the designated agency for wastewater planning, but only within the County boundary. A. Wastewater Planning In accordance with State Water Quality Management Planning rules (N.J. Administrative Code 7:15), the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders are a Designated Agency for Water Qual- ity Management Planning. In 1976, Sussex County decided to take on that responsibility, and prepared a Water Quality Management Plan, revised in 1987. Few counties have done that in New Jersey, and Sussex County has been active in protecting water quality while planning for sewer service areas and infrastructure for treating wastewater. The Sussex County Water Quality Policy Advisory Committee (commonly referred to as the “208 PAC”) advises the Freeholder Board on wastewater plan amendments and other water quantity and quality issues. In 2001, the Sussex Countywide Wastewater Management Plan (WMP) was compiled, then ap- proved by the County Freeholders and the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection. The existing Sussex Countywide WMP is a summary of all municipal wastewater plans approved by DEP, as of September 2001. There have also been approved amendments after September 2001, which are included in this plan update. The current plan is a summary of existing and future (approved but not yet built) sewer service areas and NJPDES Permit locations. A NJPDES (New Jersey Point Discharge Elimination System) Permit for wastewater discharge cannot be issued by DEP unless it is consistent with the approved Wastewater Management Plan. The wastewater dis- charge is either to surface water or ground water, and is measured in gallons per day. The Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) operates the largest sewer treatment plant in Sussex County, located in Hardyston Twp. The “Upper Wallkill Valley Water Pollution Control Plant” is permitted for 3 million gallons per day (gpd) discharge to the Wallkill River, and its sewer service area extends into Franklin, Hamburg, Hardyston, Vernon, Sussex, Wantage, and Sparta. In 2005, the DEP approved a discharge to ground water in Vernon Twp. of 265,000 gpd -- the wastewater will be treated at the SCMUA facility in Hardyston and then piped back to Vernon for discharge. SCMUA also operates other wastewater facilities in the County, including 5 Hampton Commons facility in Hampton Twp. Each municipality in the sewer service area has an allocation for their use, and excess allocation may be transferred to another municipality upon mutual agreement and amendment to the wastewater plan. The Town of Newton is the owner and operator of its own wastewater treatment plant that has a permitted wastewater flow of 1.4 million gallons per day (gpd) discharge to surface water. As of 2001, existing flow was about 1 million gpd, so there is additional capacity available in that plant. The Musconetcong Sewer Authority owns and operates a wastewater treatment plant located in Morris County, with a permitted discharge of 5.9 million gpd. Its sewer service area extends into Stanhope, Byram and most recently, Hopatcong with the construction of sewers into the Bor- ough. There are also smaller package treatment plants located throughout Sussex County that serve schools, commercial and industrial sites, and are typically less than 20,000 gpd discharge to ground water. B. Watershed Management Areas The streams listed below all originate or have headwaters in Sussex County. Headwaters are characterized by steep gradients, large cobbles and rocks on the stream bed, and narrow flood- ways. Waters of this type tend to be clear, cool and swiftly flowing, and often provide habitat for trout and other cold water species. The Wallkill River has an unusual characteristic, as it is one of the few rivers that flows North. It flows thru New York State and eventually drains into the Hudson River. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AREAS SUBWATERSHEDS UPPER DELAWARE Delaware (direct drainage to river) (WMA #1) Shimmers Brook Flat Brook Van Campens Paulins Kill Pequest River Musconetcong River WALLKILL Wallkill River (WMA #2) Papakating Creek Pochuck Creek UPPER PASSAIC/ Pequannock River ROCKAWAY Rockaway River (WMA #6) 6 II. SUMMARY TABLE OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS This WMP update is designed to meet the requirements of the DEP but it also is a planning document tied to implementation of the Strategic Growth Plan. By agreement with DEP staff, potential centers and associated central utility services are identified and discussed in general terms. The WQMP and Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) do not show these with specific area boundaries. They are included as there must be a direct connection between center-oriented de- velopment and essential utility services. This WMP update is somewhat unusual as it removes some areas of proposed sewer service in the County in order to bring consistency between the County WQMP, the draft Highlands Re- gional Master Plan and the County Endorsed Strategic Growth Plan. The following Significant Actions will be in effect once the WMP is approved: Modification of the Wastewater Planning Area Jurisdiction – The change proposed in this plan reduces the area to only Sussex County itself. This would remove the municipalities in Morris County that were part of the Sussex County 2001 WMP: Mt. Arlington, Jeffer- son, Roxbury and Netcong. They are part of the Musconetcong Sewerage Authority WMP and would most likely become part of a Morris County WMP in the future. Reduction in Future Sewer Service Area – This plan proposes to delete certain areas des- ignated as “2,000 to 20,000 gallons per day discharge