Mayor Zimmer Thanks City Employees
for Flood Cleanup Effort
“The flooding we faced this week was severe, but I want to thank the employees of the Environmental Services Department and Fire Department who have been working non-stop to clear out garbage and wash away the sludge from our streets and sidewalks and our Police who worked to keep residents safe during the flooding,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I have been assured by North Hudson Sewerage Authority that the pump they are constructing to alleviate the flooding is their number one priority, and I thank residents for their patience.”
Residents can report any remaining problem areas that require cleaning by calling Environmental Services at 201-420-2049 and emailing both tatkins@hobokennj.org and tshannon@hobokennj.org.
The construction of the pump has been delayed due to the need for manually cleaning out the inside of outflow pipes, but the North Hudson Sewerage Authority expects the pump to be operational by the fall of this year.
“I hope that once the pump is operational, it will alleviate the majority of the flooding, but I think we need to do more to fully solve our flooding problem,” added Mayor Zimmer. “That is why last year we installed a wireless network of sensors in our sewer system to collect the data we need to fully understand and ultimately address the problem in a cost-effective manner. If there is a silver lining to this mess, it is that the data we collected during the recent storm – combined with the data we will collect after the pump is operational -- will be useful to helping us find additional long-term solutions. I believe those solutions must incorporate green initiatives including flood mitigation through park land, permeable road and sidewalk surfaces, rain gardens, green roofs, and rain barrels.” ◦
