TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Some residents whose homes lie adjacent to stretches of Musquapsink Brook have been notified by the township administrator of upcoming work by Downes Tree Service to repair two severely eroded streambank areas near sanitary sewers.
Without repairing the banks, officials previously said the eroded sanitary sewer utility holes risk being breached and contaminating Musquapsink Brook with sold waste and other contaminants. The brook flows into Schlegel (Washington) Lake and eventually into the Oradell Reservoir, a public drinking water supply managed by Veolia North America.
The township administrator’s letter advises homeowners that the tree service may need to access their properties during the streambank work, though no project schedule or start dates are disclosed.
Pascack Press asked how many residents were affected by the notice and for a timetable for the project but did not receive a response from township officials by press time.
Downes was awarded a $669,280 contract to perform the work as the lowest bidder on the brook restoration project. Recently, the Township Council approved an ordinance appropriating $100,000 from the capital fund balance to cover the local share of the approximately $700,000 project. The remaining funding will come from a $600,000 federal grant secured by Fifth District U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat.
In a recent letter to affected residents, Administrator Mark DiCarlo said homeowners should complete and return an NJDEP “Property Owner Certification” form allowing Downes Tree Service to access their property.
“It is possible that machinery may need to be brought to the brook through your property. If this is in fact necessary, the Township will absolutely restore any disturbed landscaping during the process,” states DiCarlo’s letter. It notes that Code Official Dino DeVirgilio will assist the process “by communicating, in person, with each property owner.”
It was unclear from the township’s letter whether NJDEP requires all Property Owner Certification forms to be on file before issuing a permit. However, the letter states, “In order to complete the permit application, the Township of Washington must provide the Property Owner’s Certification Section, indicating that the Township has obtained permission from the property owners along the sections of the brook that will be accessed in order to complete the work.”
The severely eroded streambanks exposed concrete sanitary sewer manholes that were first identified in a 2023 Boswell Engineering drone report documenting conditions along Musquapsink Brook.
That drone report was publicly released in April 2023 following a Pascack Press public records request. See “Drone study highlights brook obstructions, recommends ways to improve flow, stem flooding,” by Michael Olohan, April 17, 2023, thepressgroup.net.