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NJCAT director: only DEP-verified/certified manufactured treatment devices should be used; watch configuration and in-line/off-line use
Summary
Dr. Richard McGee described the NJCAT's verification and NJDEP certification program for manufactured treatment devices (MTDs), chronicled the program's laboratory protocol evolution, and warned reviewers to ensure device configurations on plans match certified test configurations to avoid misuse.
Dr. Richard McGee, representing the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT), described the 25-year partnership with NJDEP that verifies and (in some cases) certifies manufactured treatment devices used in New Jersey stormwater practice.
McGee summarized the program's evolution from field verification toward laboratory-based protocols (current protocols updated in 2021 and 2023) and said NJCAT's verification reports are subject to public review and comment. He emphasized that only NJCAT-verified and NJDEP-certified MTD configurations tested under the protocols may be used to meet New Jersey stormwater rules: "Only the configuration that was tested is NJDEP certified," he said, and reviewers must confirm inlet/outlet alignment and other details on plan submissions.
McGee warned of common misuse: manufacturers or designers sometimes place a certified product on plans in a different inlet/outlet configuration (multiple inlet pipes, nonaligned outlets) or claim in-line use when the certification letter allows only offline use. He advised reviewers to cross-check certification letters and NJCAT verification reports before approving MTDs for local projects. McGee also noted there is currently no standard NJCAT/NJDEP test protocol for nutrient (phosphorus) removal by MTDs and suggested development of a protocol would be beneficial.
Why it matters: MTDs are proprietary devices that remove pollutants (primarily TSS) using varied mechanisms. Using uncertified configurations or misrepresenting tested conditions can overstate performance and undermine compliance with NJAC design and performance standards.
McGee outlined device categories (hydrodynamic separators, filtration devices, green-structure MTDs), noted recent increases in green infrastructure verifications, and urged careful review of certification documentation to guard against misuse or mistaken plan approval.
