The MCUA’s Wastewater Division is committed to maintaining the pristine beauty of the Raritan River and Bay by providing wastewater treatment services for 943,000 industrial, commercial and residential users in Middlesex County, as well as several municipalities in Union and Somerset counties.
Five pumping stations and over 50 miles of regional interceptors deliver more than 110 million gallons of wastewater to the Central Treatment Facility, also known as the Edward J. Patten Water Reclamation Center, at the Authority. The Wastewater Treatment Plant consists of some of the most advanced technologies and innovations in wastewater management. The process for treating the wastewater is the same cycle found in nature, except it only takes 8 – 12 hours. The wastewater undergoes a comprehensive purification process which includes removal of solid material, neutralization to destroy bacteria with natural organisms, and thorough testing before the cleaned water is returned to the environment.
Our commitment to the environment doesn’t end with clean water. We also focus on returning minerals from the wastewater back to the soil. At the Authority, residual biosolids taken out of the wastewater undergo additional treatment. This treatment results in a product called Meadow Life,® which is used as a licensed fertilizer and liming agent at the Middlesex County Landfill and has won several awards for its positive environmental impacts.
The Wastewater Division serves all 25 municipalities in Middlesex County. These include Carteret, Cranbury, Dunellen, East Brunswick, Edison, Helmetta, Highland Park, Jamesburg, Metuchen, Middlesex Borough, Milltown, Monroe, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Plainsboro, Sayreville, South Amboy, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, South River, Spotswood, and Woodbridge. The Division also serves nearby Bound Brook, Franklin Township, and South Bound Brook in Somerset County, and the following towns through the Plainfield Area Sewerage Authority: Bridgewater, Dunellen, Fanwood, Green Brook, Plainfield, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, Scotch Plains, Warren Township, and Watchung.