County To Spend $2 Million On New Toilets In Justice Complex After Sewage Incident

TOMS RIVER - It will cost roughly $100,000 to repair the damage from an incident last week that sent raw sewage spewing into some offices and courtrooms at the Ocean County Justice Complex, according to app.com.

And county officials want to make sure it doesn't happen again.

They plan to spend up to $2 million install new low-flow toilets that can only be flushed once an hour and will have built-in sensors on the rims that can trigger an emergency cut-off flow if an overflow occurs, Ocean County Administrator Carl W. Block said.

Correction officers will also be able to shut down the sewer system immediately with the new system, Freeholder John P. Kelly said.

The individual who flushed a jumpsuit down a cell toilet on Sept. 24 has not been identified yet, but Kelly wants the Department of Corrections to find the culprit.

"It is very important that we track down exactly who — not which pod — but which inmate caused the damage and I am then going to go after that inmate to pay all the costs," Kelly said. "I am trying to send a message to other inmates that there's going to be real repercussions if you do this damage."

Newer sections of the complex already have low-flow toilets.

Block said from now on, inmates will be issued only one jumpsuit at a time.

"You have 500 bad guys over there and they think all day long what to do to cause trouble," Kelly said.

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Photo: Ocean County Government website