The ordinance to create and establish the Long Branch Sewerage Authority was passed and adopted in 1953. Five board members were appointed to oversee the operations of the Authority and still serve in this capacity as appointed officials today. In 1968, the Broadway Avenue Treatment facility was officially decommissioned, and the Joline Avenue plant was put online.

Since that time the Long Branch Sewerage Authority has seen significant upgrades with its facility, especially with the passage of the EPA’s Clean Water Act of 1972. This federal law was the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States. The law employs numerous regulatory and non-regulatory tools to directly reduce the amount of pollutants discharged into our waterways.

In order to meet the requirements of the “Act”, LBSA underwent a major upgrade from primary to secondary treatment as an Activated Sludge Facility which was equipped to operate by several new methods, namely step aeration or conventional activated sludge process. This process was designed to remove eighty-five (85) percent of Suspended Solids and eighty-five percent of BOD. Since 1998, the LBSA has averaged a removal of 95% Suspended Solids and 95% BOD before discharging into the Atlantic Ocean.

A by-product of wastewater treatment is the production of Bio-Solids. These solids are processed and removed from the facility. They may be re-used for land-application or beneficial reuse as fertilizer. This year LBSA will process and remove from the treated effluent Bio-Solids that will be used as a Beneficial Reuse by-product.

The LBSA currently serves a population of approximately 31,000 people with customers in Long Branch and parts of West Long Branch, namely Monmouth University. Our extensive collection system consists of approximately 500,000 linear feet of sewerage lines and six pump stations. The collection system has seen significant upgrades over the past few years, culminating with the Phase II Sewer Rehabilitation Project that was completed in 2003.

The treatment plant consists of various treatment trains, many that have also seen significant upgrades over the past few years. The facility is staffed 365 days of the year, with the Collection Crew available for after-hours emergencies.

The LBSA staff consists of an Executive/Operations Director, four office personnel, three supervisors, ten plant personnel and three collection-system crew. Without the skills and motivation of this diverse group of employees, the operation of the Long Branch Sewerage Authority would be impossible. These employees are at the forefront of protecting and enhancing Long Branch’s surface waters for economic stability and coastal aesthetics for Long Branch’s present and future residents.