LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP MUA OLD PINE ACRES SANITARY SEWER

The Lakewood Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) recently closed on a $4.9 million loan with the New Jersey Water Bank to construct a public sanitary sewer conveyance system in the Old Pine Acres neighborhood of Lakewood Township. Because the authority qualifies under the New Jersey Water Bank's affordability criteria and the project advances important clean water objectives, the MUA is expected to receive $3 million in principal forgiveness at long-term closing, an amount equal to approximately 62% of the total project cost, if awarded as anticipated. This would substantially reduce the financial burden on the community. 

The project will allow existing homeowners in the neighborhood to connect to the public sanitary sewer system and eliminate reliance on individual septic systems and septic fields.

Septic systems are an effective wastewater treatment solution in many areas, but as communities become more densely developed and systems age, they can become more susceptible to failures that may affect groundwater quality, nearby waterways, and public health. Connecting homes to a centralized sanitary sewer system provides a more reliable and efficient method of collecting and transporting wastewater for treatment.