=== Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Violations ===
Beginning in September 2025, NJ21st obtained NJDEP correspondence revealing a series of violations at the Berkeley Heights sewage plant. These findings cover reporting failures, stormwater management issues, and operational risks tied to infrastructure and maintenance lapses. In addition to DEP violations, there were also citations from the Department of Labor. NJ21st is tracking this as an ongoing matter, and this section will be updated as new DEP letters, enforcement actions, or township responses are released.
Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Cited for Reporting and Environmental Violations
Date: 2025-09-08
A resident shared DEP documents revealing failures in required reporting and indications of partially treated sewage being discharged into the Passaic River.
Read full article: https://nj21st.com/2025/09/08/berkeley-heights-sewage-plant-cited-for-reporting-and-environmental-violations/
Second DEP Letter Cites Stormwater Violations at Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant
Date: 2025-09-09
Another DEP letter, included in the same packet of documents, cited the Township for stormwater management failures. Inspectors found improper storage of chemicals, missed inspections, and lack of staff training on pollution prevention.
Read full article: https://nj21st.com/2025/09/09/second-dep-letter-cites-stormwater-violations-at-berkeley-heights-sewage-plant/
DEP’s Third Letter Flags Overflow Risks From Broken Sensors and Uncleaned Basins at Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant
Date: 2025-09-10
A third DEP letter raised concerns about the sewage plant’s equalization basin, including broken sensors, overdue cleanings, and outdated maintenance procedures.
Read full article: https://nj21st.com/2025/09/10/deps-third-letter-flags-overflow-risks-from-broken-sensors-and-uncleaned-basins-at-berkeley-heights-sewage-plant/
Fourth DEP Notice Cites Berkeley Heights for Sewage Discharges into State Waters
Date: 2025-09-11
The fourth article covers a March 7, 2024 NJ DEP violation citing Berkeley Heights’ sanitary collection system for raw sewage discharges into local waterways during December 2023 and January 2024.
https://nj21st.com/2025/09/11/fourth-dep-notice-cites-berkeley-heights-for-sewage-discharges-into-state-waters/
Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant Cited for Safety Hazards and Boiler Violations
Date: 2025-09-12
We move on from DEP violations to violations from the DOL prompted by a complaint submitted by an employee.
https://nj21st.com/2025/09/12/berkeley-heights-sewage-plant-cited-for-safety-hazards-and-boiler-violations/
Resident Questions to NJ21st about the DEP Sewage Violations
Date: 2025-09-10
A running inventory of questions from residents and responses.
Read full article: https://nj21st.com/2025/09/10/resident-questions-to-nj21st-about-the-dep-sewage-violations/
Source Documents
Date: 2025-09-12
A file containing all the source documents for the articles in this section.
https://nj21st.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/sewage_source.zip