Engineering

 

Connecting to the Sewer System

Necessary Approvals

If you wish to connect to a sewer system in Camden County, New Jersey you must obtain the necessary approvals for that project. You may be required to submit multiple applications to multiple agencies, including:

  1. The local municipality, which collects your sewage for conveyance to the county treatment system (CCMUA). Contact your municipality for specific requirements.
  2. Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) for
  3. Camden County Planning Board and Camden County Soil Conservation District. Permits from these agencies are required–for TWA and Sewer Extension applications only–for some projects, particularly larger ones or those located along County highways or involving significant soil disruption, for example.
  4. Other state, regional, or federal agencies as may be required. Consult New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations on freshwater wetlands, Pinelands, coastal areas, flood zones, other environmental sensitive areas (ESAs), and any other relevant topics.
  5. Note that unusual conditions may arise for certain types of connection requests that involve other local entities. It is strongly advised that applicants contact the CCMUA Engineering Department to discuss whether such a case exists for their application.

Also, note that if you are discontinuing onsite septic or cesspool treatment, you should contact your local municipality and the Camden County Health and Human Services Department for requirements on properly closing down the installation being retired.

The CCMUA application steps are briefly summarized here. For details, contact the CCMUA Engineering Department at 856-541-3700 ext. 1283.

Treatment Works Approval and/or Sewer Extension Approval

A project that meets any one or more of the following criteria:

  1. comprises two or more buildings or facilities,
  2. conveys or discharges 8,000 gallons per day or more to the regional sewer system, and/or
  3. involves an extension of the sewerage infrastructure

requires CCMUA endorsement that will be used by the state of New Jersey (NJ DEP) in its determination of whether the project qualifies for a sewer extension and/or a treatment works approval (TWA). This review step verifies that the CCMUA facility can handle the flow of the proposed project.

Note: Projects meeting none of the three criteria listed above can skip this endorsement step. Even so, all projects of any size that connect to the public sewers will still require sewer connection approval. If you are skipping this step, see the next main section Sewer Connection Approval on this page.

If your project does meet one or more of the three criteria, before you prepare your Treatment Works Approval and/or Sewer Extension Approval application to CCMUA, make sure your project has received your municipality’s endorsement via resolution(s) of the planning and/or zoning board, and has received other (non-CCMUA) approvals listed above under Necessary Approvals where required. You may then send an application to the CCMUA for the TWA/Sewer Extension Approval review, with the required processing fee enclosed (see instructions).

 Calculation of the mandatory processing fee is described in the instructions document below.

  • CCMUA TWA/Sewer Extension Instructions
  • CCMUA TWA/Sewer Extension Application (This is a fillable form. It must be printed signed, and mailed with all necessary supporting material. If your browser does not allow data entry, save the file and open it in the standalone Adobe Reader.)
  • NJ DEP TWA Information (NJDEP Website)
  • NJ DEP TWA and Sewer Extension Application Forms (NJDEP Website)

Note that you will also have to apply for a sewer connection (next section).

Sewer Connection Approval

In order to legally receive sewer service in Camden County, a Sewer Connection Permit must be obtained from the CCMUA in advance of making a physical sewer connection. A sewer connection fee must be paid to the CCMUA. This fee is separate from and in addition to any connection fee that may be paid to a municipality.

Before seeking approval for a sewer connection to the CCMUA’s countywide system, confirm that municipal approval has been received, and that any TWA/sewer extension and certifications from any other agencies have been approved, if required.

A sewer connection fee is due to CCMUA when any new physical connection to a municipal sewer is going to be made. Customers already being serviced by CCMUA may also be responsible for paying a connection fee in the event of a proposed change in the status, use, operation, or structure of an existing connection or when subdividing an existing property with the purpose of building new flow generating structures. Contact CCMUA for a determination in these circumstances.

Sewer Connection Fees (updated April 15, 2024)

The CCMUA’s connection fee per EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Unit) is set annually by the CCMUA Commissioners at a public board meeting. The connection fee as of April 15, 2024 is $6,545 per EDU (Resolution #R-24:4-65).

Note that this fee is separate from any fee imposed by the local municipality to connect to its collection system.

A single-family household represents one EDU. For commercial users, the fees for connections are based on the Schedule of EDUs (noted below) which shall be used for determining the EDUs and calculating the sewer connection fee. The calculation of EDUs is based on generally accepted standards and standard flows per day. The fee for commercial connections is then computed as $6,545 (as of April 15, 2024) times the number of EDUs.

If you wish to connect to the public sewer system, please contact: 856-541-3700 ext. 1283.