By Joe Scavuzzo, Director of Pennsauken Public Works

November is Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness and reaffirm the commitment to keep our country’s critical infrastructure safe and strong. We often overlook critical systems until they fail, immediately impacting our lives. Utilities, like water, electric, and sewer, are the first that come to mind, but also include roads and communication. With all things being tied to the internet, there is a host of effort put in place to keep the digital security of these systems intact.

To celebrate locally, I look at our local utilities that local government entities oversee. The Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission is the primary water purveyor for Pennsauken residents, with a portion of town being serviced by New Jersey American Water. Maintaining compliance with NJDEP and EPA drinking water standards consist of treatment technologies that ensure your water makes it from the ground or surface water source to various plants, then to your homes and businesses, successfully. It’s not just pipes in the ground, but entire treatment plants built to remove contaminants. The Pennsauken Sewerage Authority handles the water as it leaves your homes, ensuring it moves to Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority’s sewage treatment plant. The final system is overseen directly by the Township: the storm water sewer system. This system was installed as Pennsauken was developed, to guide rain and ground water back to the Delaware River. Part of the system is the inlets that we see scattered in our neighborhoods, but it also includes portions of surface creeks like the Pennsauken Creek and Pochak Creek. In 2024, the Township’s Engineering Department, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, began using a newer technology to maintain this aging infrastructure: re-lining. The best way to describe this is to imagine a pipe within a pipe. This method is helpful in minimizing impact to the roads and daily travel for drivers and neighbors.

This article also marks the beginning of leaf pile collection operation at Public Works, continuing from last year’s inaugural posted collection schedule.

Residents have two options for disposing of leaves in Pennsauken.

Option # 1: The first is to place leaves in cans/bags out for collection on the normal Wednesday yard debris collection day. For those who don’t have many leaves, this is often the best option due to its weekly occurrence.

Option # 2: The second option is to place leaves curbside on the weekend prior to the scheduled collection week for your section. A six week collection program has been designed to ensure that each section of Pennsauken receives at least two passes of curbside leaf collection.

Do not place leaves in the street, leave them up on the curb strip. NJDEP storm water regulations restrict the placement of leaf piles within 10 feet of a storm drain inlet. Leaves will be collected by the leaf vacuum machines according to the posted schedule.

Additionally, signs will be posted in each section, indicating which weeks are collection weeks.
Leaf piles with branches or other debris mixed-in will not be collected. Other yard debris, such as grass clippings and branches will need to be properly placed out for collection on the weekly yard debris collection day on Wednesdays.

Please be aware that rain can slow down the collection process. Any alterations to the schedule for unforeseen events will be promptly posted via the Township’s website and social media accounts.
For this schedule to work, all leaves for the posted collection week must be placed curbside by Sunday evening. As our crews service each street, they will be marking each as “complete” and moving onto others in that section.

Leaf piles placed at the curb after Public Works crews have passed will not be collected until the second scheduled collection. Leaf piles placed at the curb after the second scheduled pass will be required to be bagged for the normal Wednesday yard debris collection.

What section am I in?

The Town has been divided into three sections, using the existing trash collection routes. Your trash/recycling collection day determines which leaf collection section you are in.

If your normal garbage collection day is Friday, then you are in the Blue Section.
If your normal garbage collection day is Tuesday, then you are in the Red Section.
If your normal garbage collection day is Monday or Thursday, then you are in the Gold Section.

Beginning in 2024, the Township’s Stormwater Permit through NJDEP will require an enforcement of leaf piles being placed out no longer than seven days prior to collection. We feel that this new schedule will permit residents to know when their collection week is and be able to plan their yardwork in advance. Traditionally, homeowners do yardwork on the weekends, which is perfect for maintaining compliance with these new regulations. If the leaves are out in the posted section by Sunday evening, Public Works will be through that section over the next week.

We hope that this schedule answers our residents’ request and makes this seasonal chore a bit easier!

From all of us at Pennsauken Public Works, we wish you a very enjoyable Thanksgiving! As always, if you have any questions, please let us know by calling (856) 663-0178 or emailing PublicWorks@pennsauken.gov.

Talkin’ Trash

Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28, is a “trash holiday.” Thursday’s trash and recycling moves to Friday, Nov. 29. Friday’s trash and recycling will be collected on Saturday, Nov. 30. Trash and recycling collection on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving, as well as the yard waste and white goods pickup on Wednesday, Nov. 27, will occur as normal, weather permitting.