Secaucus Cub Scouts Tour Town's Sewage Treatment Plant

SECAUCUS, NJ — In mid-December, the boys from the Secaucus Cub Scouts toured the Secaucus Municipal Utilities Authority, which is the town sewage treatment plant.

Located next to the town Rec Center, this is the facility that processes all the sewage and wastewater in Secaucus. It is the job of plant employees to filter the wastewater multiple times, clean the water and then ultimately dump the water back into the Hackensack River — yes, really! The cleaned sewage water is really dumped back into the Hackensack. You can see the process above in photos.

The water discharged into the creek is actually cleaner than the existing water in the Hackensack.

Plant director Brian Bigler and his staff gave the Cubs a tour they will not forget, as they learned that human waste does not just magically disappear when we flush the toilet.

Bigler and his team operate under the auspices of the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency, to make sure the Meadowlands are not polluted.

Many Secaucus residents may not realize it, but the plant does not just process sewage: Anything flushed down your kitchen or bathroom sink, shower or toilet is emptied into Secaucus sewers and ultimately ends up at the treatment plant. That's why it is so important not to flush baby wipes, "disposable" diapers (they are really not disposable nor flusheable, despite what their marketing says) or kitchen grease, as they can and will clog the sewers.

The wastewater treatment plant is under strict supervision from the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection, and the plant has to submit daily test samples to the state to show how clean the water is.

The average household in Secaucus generates approximately 300-500 gallons a day in wastewater, and the plant currently processes about 3 million gallons of wastewater per day. The Secauucs MUA has received 25 consecutive awards from the national Association of Clean Water Agencies, as well as other national awards for environmental stewardship.

If you want to join the Secaucus Cub Scouts, they meet at 4 p.m. every Thursday in the basement of the Immaculate Conception Catholic church (1219 Paterson Plank Rd). Simply show up and check out a Cub Scout meeting some Thursday; the pack is very welcoming of new members. Secaucus Cub Scouts are led by Mrs. Helen Allen of Secaucus.