Funds sought for work on Jefferson sewer project

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11, has included engineering work for sewers for the lakefront portion of Jefferson as well as Lake Shawnee in her latest list of community funded projects.

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation called that action “what arguably could be one of the most important water quality breakthroughs over the past two decades at Lake Hopatcong.”

With 40 percent of the lake’s shoreline in Jefferson, the lack of sanitary sewers there has been considered a major problem for the lake’s water quality for some time.

“With the perseverance of Jefferson’s Mayor (Eric) Wilsusen, the strong support of his fellow lake mayors, assistance from the Lake Hopatcong Commission and Lake Hopatcong Foundation, and the tremendous cooperation of Rep. Sherrill and her staff, the possibility of the project moving forward has become a real possibility,” the foundation said in a statement.

Sherrill had $90 million in funding for sewers in Jefferson approved as part of the Water Resources Development Act, which passed Congress and was signed by the president in December.

The funds still need to be appropriated for the project to begin.

The $750,000 requested as a community funded project would pay for engineering work by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Final decisions on which community funded projects receive funding will be made by the House Committee on Appropriations later this year.

“However, with a recent history of full funding for the projects along with the strong support of Rep. Sherrill and Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who represents the other three lake municipalities, we are closer than we have ever been to the possibility of Jefferson sewers,” the foundation said.