Cty. seeks funds for new boat

Since 2001, when it first began service on Little Egg Harbor Bay and Tuckerton Creek, the Waste Watcher – Ocean County’s second pumpout boat – has helped ensure that more than 49,000 gallons of wastewater from recreational boaters was disposed of properly.

However the 23-foot-long boat with the 300-gallon holding tank has experienced some fits and starts in at least two of its seasons and is now going to be replaced.

“Even with some of the problems we ran into, the captains have done a great job keeping the boat in working condition and providing this very popular service to our boaters,” said Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as liaison to the program. “Now we are requesting some funding help to replace the current boat.”

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently approved a new grant application to the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Steering Committee for the purchase of a new pumpout boat.

The estimated cost of the boat is about $65,000 and the county would be responsible for paying for the boat prior to being reimbursed by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“We have been very successful in establishing the pumpout boat program this way,” Vicari said. “This has been an ongoing partnership with the DEP in an effort to reduce pollution of Barnegat Bay and the other waterways in Ocean County.”

Ocean County’s pumpout boat program includes a total of three boats each servicing a different area of the bay. The boats take to the water starting Memorial Day weekend and continue to provide the service through the month of October.

Since the program got started in 1998 with the first boat – the Circle of Life which is owned by Seaside Park and part of the county’s program – almost 300,000 gallons of waste water have been removed from the holding tanks of recreational boaters.

“Prior to this service, this waste often made its way into our recreational waters,” Vicari said. “In addition to its popularity with the boaters, this service has great environmental benefits.”

The freeholders enter into annual operational agreements with Seaside Park, Brick Township, the Tuckerton Seaport and the Ocean County Utilities Authority (OCUA) in order to run the pumpout boat program.

Pumpout boats are specially equipped boats capable of emptying the on-board toilets and holding tanks of other boats.

Seaside Park owns the Circle of Life, which was the first pumpout boat in New Jersey. The boat started operations in 1998 and services central Barnegat Bay off Island Beach State Park. Last year, the Circle of Life serviced 1,502 boats and pumped more than 25,000 gallons of wastewater.

Tuckerton Seaport operates the Waste Watcher for Ocean County in Little Egg Harbor Bay and Tuckerton Creek. The boat began service in 2001. Last year, the boat pumped almost 20,000 gallons of wastewater.

Brick Township has operated the Bay Saver for Ocean County since 2003. The boat services the Metedeconk River and northern Barnegat Bay. The Bay Saver serviced 1,447 boats last year and removed 30,685 gallons of wastewater.

“Practically the entire intercoastal area of Ocean County is covered by these three pumpout boats,” Vicari said. “In addition to the boats, there are approximately 75 pumpout stations at county marinas up and down the coast.

“The boats are intended to service areas that are not readily accessible to marina based pumpout units,” Vicari said. “It’s important we keep the boats in good running condition to continue the success of the program.”