It’s another raw sewage leak affecting Atlantic City and the Downbeach towns of Ventnor, Margate and Longport.
The decades old pipe carries raw sewage water from Longport, Margate and Ventnor to the ACUA treatment plant in Atlantic City.
ACUA President Rick Dovey reports that a 27-inch sewage pipe along Wellington Ave in Ventnor broke and is spewing contaminated water from sinks, showers, washing machines and ……… wait for it…….. toilets.
Raw sewage spews from ACUA pipe in Ventnor.
Drinking water is not affected, but raw sewage is leaking into the back bays behind Ventnor Heights. The leak affects most Absecon Island towns.
The main concern is the health of shellfish; crabs and clams.
But because it’s a ‘force main’, it can’t be shut off. The leak must be bypassed in order to have it repaired says ACUA President Rick Dovey.
A bypass must be built to fix the problem. Until then, the stinky water will flow.
During the ‘bypass’ build, which could take a week, raw sewage will continue to flow along Wellington Ave.
Full repair will take about three weeks.
Swimming and boating could have been affected if this occurred during the summer months.
Department of Environmental Protection and the Atlantic County Department of Health are on the scene.
From the ACUA, Atlantic County Utilities Authority:
| Repairs Underway to Stop Leak in Sewer Line on Wellington Avenue in Ventnor City |
| Update: Monday, February 22 ACUA’s emergency contractor Lafayette Utilities is preparing the site for the installation of a bypass pipe which will stop the leak while repairs are made to the sewer main. Required parts have been ordered and will be arriving on site over the next few days. Lafayette is identifying two locations where excavation will be done to attach the bypass line on either side of the leak. When piping arrives onsite, it will be fused together and when the pipe taps are delivered and excavation is completed, the bypass can be put into place. Until the bypass is completed, leakage will continue in the streets of the affected area. This may take 6 or 7 days. Once the bypass is in place, this will stop the release of wastewater. Please note that additional repair work will continue after the bypass is in place. Repairs may take up to four weeks for completion. Detours will remain in place during the repairs. There is no immediate health risk and this does not impact the safety of drinking water. People are cautioned to avoid contact with the leaked wastewater. Do not walk, bike or drive through the wastewater.ACUA and the Health Department will be conducting water sampling in order to test water quality in the bay. Additional updates will be posted here and shared on social media. If you require additional information and need to speak to someone by phone: Daytime (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): 609-272-6950 After business hours: 609-343-7753 |
Again! The break during Sandy caused Ventnor to re-open last, then 2(?) years ago, a kayaker spotted another leak. Now this. Appears we’re looking at another huge infrastructure project to get it right but let’s be careful about the lowest bidder this time.
Disgusting