Sewage authority reports progress on major pump‑station projects; Brookline Avenue lining defect may require open trench

The Franklin Township Sewage Authority reported continuing work on several sewer and pump‑station projects and said a defective section of cured‑in‑place lining on Brookline Avenue will likely require open‑cut repair.

Dr. Roach, executive director, told commissioners the High Bay Garage project is complete except for approval from the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission and that the authority is negotiating a stream corridor preservation waiver. "The High Bay Garage, that project is completed with the exception of the approval from the Delaware Raritan Canal Commission," Dr. Roach said.

The authority also reported progress at multiple pump stations. At Somerset Street, staff completed a pump start up and said only minor punch‑list items remain. Brookline Avenue manhole‑to‑manhole lining is 66% complete, main‑to‑house lining about 4% complete and cured‑in‑place point repairs about 12% complete, the authority said. Commissioners and staff identified an approximately 45‑foot defective section inside an 8‑inch pipe that will require a trench and excavation in the roadway.

Commissioners and staff inspected the area and decided to convene a meeting with township public works and the township water department to clarify responsibility and negotiate a contingency agreement so the correct party bears repair costs. Dr. Roach said the authority is concerned the township might expect the authority to fix a failing road surface that the township’s water department installed two years earlier.

The authority described the Westin Canal pump‑station rebuild and move as the largest pending project. Staff reported the project’s access license agreement is still in legal review by New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBP) counsel; the authority estimated the legal review could extend into November and said it would escalate the review with the owner’s legal team. An engineer for the project (CME Associates) submitted a draft request for applicability for flood hazard and freshwater wetlands permitting.

Other projects in active engineering or procurement include Commerce Drive pump‑station rehabilitation (shop drawings under review and long material lead times) and Shirley Avenue pump station, where staff are performing a title search and obtaining title insurance before sending an offer to acquire roughly a 20‑foot parcel needed for the upgrade.

Several projects mentioned — Brookline Avenue and Somerset Street pump station work — are funded through a federal grant administered by the county and the township; the authority said it has submitted reimbursement requests under that grant but had not yet received the funds. For February, staff submitted $185,909.09 to the county and reported cumulative submissions to the county of $268,546.61 and to the township of $1,505,699.78.

The authority said it will continue site coordination with municipal agencies, pursue outstanding agency approvals for the High Bay Garage and Westin Canal projects, and return with follow‑up reports to the board when negotiations and permit progress advance.