Hoboken Faces Sewage Smell And Flooding After Overnight Storm

Hoboken residents and commuters found themselves confronting the smell of raw sewage on Wednesday morning after flooding from Tuesday night’s storm.

The stormy weather and precipitation – expected to last throughout the weekend – was a result of Tropical Storm Joaquin, which was upgraded to hurricane status on Wednesday.

Tuesday night’s rain left a “foul stench” in parts of the city including Madison Street, where sewage backup left a “sludgy” smell, Fios1News reported.

Social media news reports also mentioned flooding at several spots in the city.

@katcreag4NY wrote at 6:45 a.m.:

“Heavy rain #Hoboken left some spots of high water on streets, flooding in parking lot near PATH train station @StormTeam4NY #NBC4NY”

@TonyCaputo wrote at 2:19 a.m.:

“#njmorningshow Mud remains but water & odor are gone at 10th & Madison in #Hoboken @News12NJ”

Similar problems with smelly sewage backup were reported in June after an overnight thunderstorm.

HOBOKEN’S SEWER SMELL EXPLAINED

Hoboken city officials explained the cause of the problem to Patch in June.

According to Hoboken Communications Manager Juan Melli, the smell and sludge residue in the wake of the flood is due to the city’s combined sewer system.

“This means that stormwater and sewage are combined in the same pipes,” Melli explained to Patch. “When the system is overwhelmed with heavy rains at high tide, the sewers overflow into the streets. The smell is a combination of stormwater runoff and sewage.”

• See related article: This Is Why Hoboken Smells Like Sewage

More information about the city’s flooding issues and sewer system is available online here.

FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT

Earlier this month, the Hoboken City Council approved a $16.7 million bond to help acquire a six-acre piece of land owned by BASF – which will eventually be the site of the Northwest Resiliency Park.

When completed, the park will have more than a million gallons of flood mitigation capacity, city officials claim.

• See related article: Hoboken Ponders Eminent Domain Purchase For Resiliency Park

Photo caption: Hoboken city workers hose down a street following flooding in June.

Send Hoboken news tips and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com