Waterbody Advisory System

The North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) has established a “Waterbody Advisory System” in order to provide the public with real-time information related to Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) near its outfalls into the Hudson River.

CSOs are a combination of storm water and wastewater flows which reach such high volume levels that they cannot be handled by either the sewer collection system or wastewater treatment facility.  Because the capacity of the system is exceeded in such instances, the CSO empties directly into the River. This may occur during certain intense rainstorms.

The NHSA has 10 outfall pipes along the River from West New York, running south to Hoboken. Each outfall is clearly marked with a warning sign, a designation number and contact information to report discharges during dry weather periods. (Dry weather overflows, as opposed to wet weather CSOs, are extremely rare in NHSA’s system, and they are reportable events according to NJDEP requirements.) 

The “Waterbody Advisory System” map below is designed to alert the public when a dry or wet weather CSO event occurs at an NHSA discharge point into the Hudson.  The system utilizes level sensors in the sewer system to monitor and report CSO incidents. This information is then posted in real-time.  The map depicts inactive CSOs as green circles, indicating no CSO activity near that outfall.  Red circles indicate that there has been CSO activity and contact with the water in areas within 100 feet of the outfall should be avoided.  A purple or blue circle indicates that the monitoring unit is currently not active, and likely down for servicing.

If you need to report an emergency issue that requires immediate attention such as sewer odors, sewer backups, suspected breaks in a sanitary sewer or storm drain, or missing manhole covers, please use the the telephone hotline (866.689.3970).