NORTH HUDSON SEWERAGE AUTHORITY AUTHORIZES HOBOKEN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT HOBOKEN, N.J.

Visit the News Section for more stories...

NORTH HUDSON SEWERAGE AUTHORITY AUTHORIZES HOBOKEN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT HOBOKEN, N.J. (NOVEMBER 19, 2008) --- The North Hudson Sewerage Authority ("the Authority") announced today that it has authorized the commencement of its Hoboken flood control project. The project involves the design and construction of a wet weather pump station to be located in the southeastern section of the City. The project's cost is estimated to be $14 million, the full amount which will be borne by the Authority. The Authority will fund the project cost through its participation in the New Jersey State Revolving Loan Fund which provides long-term, low interest infrastructure loans to qualified entities. Over the next nine months, the Authority's engineer, CH2M Hill, will complete the final design of the wet weather pump station and determine its exact location. Funding should be in place by the fourth quarter 2009, and the contract for the construction of the project is expected to be bid out, in a competitive process, at that time. The construction phase is expected to be completed within 18 to 24 months after the final construction bid is accepted. The construction of the wet weather pump station is expected to alleviate the flooding in Hoboken, including that which currently besets the southwestern sections of the City. This area is the most flood-prone because the ground elevation is close to, or in some cases, below the normal high tide levels of the Hudson River. Although the Authority does not expect that one pump station will eliminate all flooding incidents throughout the City, it will nevertheless go a long way to addressing the most serious problems. The Authority's funding and building of the single wet weather pump station is part of a comprehensive flood control project that includes the construction of three additional wet weather pump stations. In meetings with Hoboken City officials in mid-2008, it was agreed that the Authority would pay for one-third of the total cost of the four pump stations and Hoboken would pay for two-thirds of that cost. The total cost for the four wet weather pump stations is estimated to be $44 million dollars. The Authority is fulfilling its commitment by funding and building one wet weather pump station. The future construction of the three additional wet weather pump stations will depend entirely upon Hoboken's ability to fund them itself. Dr. Richard J. Wolff, Chairman of the Authority, said: "The Authority recognizes that the alleviation of the flooding problems in Hoboken must not be held hostage to the City's current financial problems. We have decided, therefore, to fulfill our commitment to fund one-third of the total cost of the entire flood control program by building the one wet weather pump station that will be the most effective in addressing the flooding problems, especially in the southwestern sections of the City. When this pump station is completed and in operation, the Authority will have fulfilled its commitment to Hoboken, and any additional pump stations will have to be funded by the City itself. We will, of course, work closely with the State Fiscal Monitor and City officials going forward."