Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- Dover Township Mayor J. Mark Mutter yesterday asked the state Department of Environmental Protection to give township officials an update on United Water Toms River's applications to drill a new well and convert two existing wells to an aquifer storage system.
In a letter to DEP Commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr., Mutter also asked that if the permit applications are complete that the department advise the township of the DEP's review of the applications.
In a Feb. 18 letter to Shinn, United Water President Frank J. DeMicco asked the commissioner to issue all permits necessary for Well 46, a new well off Whitesville Road that will pump water from a shallow aquifer and store it deep below ground for use during the summer months. The storage system is called aquifer storage and recovery.
DeMicco also asked the commissioner to expedite the permit process necessary for United to convert existing wells 42 and 45 to the aquifer storage system.
DeMicco said that because United Water has not yet received DEP permits for Well 46, that well, which is expected to supply up to 3 million gallons of water daily, "will not be available to assist us in meeting our peak demand periods this summer."
DEP spokeswoman Loretta O'Donnell said yesterday she could not immediately provide the status of United Water's permit applications.
United Water officials have said they first discussed the permit application with the DEP in mid-November, and met with DEP officials in early January to discuss it further. DeMicco said the company has complied with all DEP requests for more information.
In his letter, DeMicco asked that Shinn consider granting United Water an additional 800,000 gallons in daily capacity this summer for wells 42 and 45, to help make up for the loss of Well 46 as a potential new source of summer supply.
DeMicco also asked for permission to continue using Well 31, located off Whitesville Road, while the new Well 46 is under construction.
Well 42 is located at the parkway well field off Dugan Lane, and 45 is at the parkway south well field. Together, the two wells provide about 2.7 million gallons of water daily. Both wells tap into the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer.
"I cannot underestimate the importance of continued vigilance as it pertains to the water company's duty, by law, to provide safe, adequate and proper service to the ratepayers of Dover Township," Mutter wrote.
He asked that the department "give this matter priority attention."
Published: February 25, 2000
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