RED BANK: SEWAGE MAIN FIXED

The scene of a broken sewer main Thursday evening, above, and Friday morning as workers finish repairs, below.  (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)

By BRIAN DONOHUE

A sewage main ruptured by a contractor  in a train station parking lot has been repaired and is no longer sending untreated sewage into storm drains and waterways, borough officials said Friday.

Workers replacing the asphalt atop the repaired sewer main hole. .(Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)

In a post on the Borough of Red Bank Facebook page, officials said the sewer force main was clamped and repaired by the Borough’s emergency Mechanical Contractor Mark Woszczcak around 11:50 pm Thursday  “stopping any further discharge of sewage” from the area. 

The 30-inch main was ruptured Thursday afternoon by a contractor doing soil testing  in anticipation of a proposed future development of the NJ Transit train station lots and surrounding blocks.

Workers doing soil borings hit a pressurized main known as a “force main” used in areas where wastewater needs to move uphill and that cannot be shut off, Borough Manager Jim Gant said.

While the emergency is over, some confusion remained – and in the case of one marina owner, frustration – over whether people can resume water activities.

Rental boats at Red Bank Marina at the foot of Hubbard’s Bridge go unused a day after the sewer pipe rupture. Marina owner Steven Remaley, below.  (Photo by Brian Donohue)

In an earlier alert shortly after the rupture, brought officials advised residents to avoid water activities on the river until tests indicate it was safe.With an estimated 100 gallons of wastewater per minute being discharged into the storm sewer system, Brian Rice, Chairman of the Navesink Rivers Municipalities Committee, also wrote on Facebook’s Shrewsbury & Navesink River Boaters Facebook page:

“As a precautionary measure, we strongly advise all residents and visitors to refrain from engaging in any river sports or consuming any shellfish or finish from the affected river until further notice. This advisory is issued to ensure the safety and health of the community.”

But in the update Friday, the borough indicated the state Department of Environmental Protection would not conduct water samples until Monday.

That news did not sit well with Steve Remaley, owner of Red Bank Marina which typically does about 100 boat rentals a day on July weekends, the peak season for crabbing on the river. On Friday there were no rentals.

“Why aren’t they doing it today?” he said referring to the water tests. ” A whole weekend? That’s bullshit.”

Remaley said he’s unsure what to tell customers calling the marina asking about the situation.

“You want to get the fear out of the people. This is a boating community,” he said.

“It’s a lot of peoples’ livelihoods around here. Especially mine.”

The state DEP has so far not issued any advisories regarding the spill. Emails seeking information from the DEP were not immediately returned. redbankgreen will update this story as it develops.