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Pinelands Commission extends wastewater pilot, staff cite promising nitrogen reductions but say more data needed
Summary
The commission voted to extend its on‑site wastewater treatment pilot for two years after a staff presentation showing several advanced systems currently meet the 1‑acre total nitrogen target (14 ppm) in early sampling; staff recommended continued monitoring and noted a recent DEP rule change that may expand eligible technologies.
Claire, a resource planner at the Pinelands Commission, presented the commission’s implementation report for the alternate‑design on‑site wastewater treatment systems pilot and recommended the commission continue piloting select technologies for two more years.
"The CMP requires periodic reporting on the pilot program," Claire said, summarizing the regulatory basis for the report and the evaluation criteria used to judge technologies in the pilot. Her presentation reviewed technologies in the program, sampling and maintenance requirements, installation counts and geographic distribution, and recommended next steps.
Why it matters: the pilot tests whether advanced residential wastewater systems can meet the Comprehensive Management Plan’s (CMP) nitrate/nitrogen limits on lots smaller than the CMP’s standard 3.2‑acre parcel size. If technologies reliably achieve the standard on smaller lots, the commission can allow development densities and housing on otherwise constrained parcels while protecting groundwater and downstream ecosystems.
Key findings: Claire said two pilot technologies showed median total nitrogen levels below the 1‑acre target of 14 ppm in the available samples — HOOTS (median 8.9 ppm from 34 samples across three systems) and FoodiClean (median 10.8 ppm from 34 samples across seven systems). She cautioned the sample set is still small and called for continued monitoring before formal CMP changes.
Staff also presented installation data: pilot technologies accounted for 17 installed systems in the current sampling set, while the broader historical tally (including previously graduated systems) was presented as 497 total advanced on‑site system installations in the region. Installations are concentrated in regional growth areas, with Ocean and Burlington counties reporting higher counts.
Policy implications and next steps: staff recommended keeping promising technologies in the pilot to allow more data collection, and noted that a recent DEP rule amendment widened eligible certification programs beyond NSF 40/245; that change could increase options and reduce costs by allowing systems certified by other accredited organizations. The commission voted to accept staff recommendations and extend the pilot for two years, with staff directed to return with an updated implementation report in November 2027.
Quotes: Claire said the pilot allows the commission "to test advanced on‑site wastewater treatment systems for their ability to reduce nitrogen to the levels required by the CMP." The motion to extend the pilot passed on a voice vote.
What’s next: staff will continue sampling and evaluation, track DEP certification and permit changes, and present a follow‑up implementation report in November 2027 or sooner if sufficient data warrant earlier action.
