What Will Alleviate Flooding in Town? New Sensor Contract is Supposed to Answer That Question

The North Hudson Sewerage will pay for a contract with EmNet for sensors throughout Hoboken's sewerage system to monitor flooding in town.

The sensors have been used in many of the recent big storms, said city spokesman Juan Melli, including hurricane Irene.

The NHSA will be paying for the contract as well as the related construction work. The contract was approved on July 19. The Authority will also deploy the monitors in West New York.  

"I want to thank the North Hudson Sewerage Authority for continuing its efforts to solve our City’s long-standing flooding problems," said Mayor Dawn Zimmer in a press release. "Together with the EmNet data we collected last year, this new data, which the Authority will share with the City, will provide additional information that will help to facilitate the development of a comprehensive plan that fully incorporates green infrastructure technologies to reduce the rainwater that enters the sewer system and alleviate our flooding problem."

A previous plan predicted that the city of Hoboken needs four pumps to alleviate the town's flooding problem. According to the EmNet data, Melli said, the city definitely doesn't need four pumps. At least two of those four aren't needed, he said. 

Instead, Melli said, the city wants to look into greener solutions—such as green roofs, rain gardens rain barrels—to solve the problem. 

The pump has alleviated While the NHSA pump on Observer Highway has alleviated the flooding in Southwest Hoboken,

But, the flooding problem hasn't been fully solved. And, Zimmer announced, "further evaluation is needed to address flooding problems city-wide."

The results of the sensors, Zimmer said, will also be used to create a greener infrastructure in town.

"Green infrastructure must be an integral part of solving our flooding problem, and the information the Authority will share with the City will help give us the necessary data as we continue the work of creating a green master plan for the City," Zimmer said.