BRICK – In a shared services agreement between the township and Ocean County, the operation and maintenance of three pumpout boats will patrol the northern portion of Barnegat Bay this boating season.
The third boat – which has yet to be named – is scheduled to begin service this spring, and will join “The Bay Saver,” and “The Bay Defender.”
All three will service the effluent discharge of the boaters in the waters of Brick Township, said Councilman Steve Feinman during a recent Township Council meeting.
“The pump out boats provide a convenient, inexpensive and environmentally safe means for boaters to dispose of the effluent waste in this agreement,” he said.
Brick operates and maintains the pumpout boats and the county reimburses the township up to $50,000 for costs incurred by the three boats, Feinman added.
The Ocean County Pumpout Boat Program began in 1988 with the first boat, “Circle of Life,” which was retired last season after 25 years in operation.
Since then, over 2.4 million gallons of concentrated effluent waste have been pumped out of holding tanks and portable toilets from some 114,470 boats that would have otherwise been discharged into the intercoastal waters of Ocean County, and empty their tanks into the sewer system.
Photo courtesy Ocean County
The pumpout boats service recreational boats throughout the Barnegat Bay, from the Manasquan River to Little Egg Harbor. They respond to requests from boaters in open waters and in some marinas.
The boats operate on weekends from memorial day through mid-October from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. There is no charge for the service.
Pumpout boats can be contacted by captain’s cell phones or on the Marine VHF radio channel 9 by identifying the boat, its location and service requested.
The pumpout vessels are purchased by the county with grants provided through the Clean Vessel Act Program with federal and state funds.
For more information visit the online interactive NJ Pumpout Guide at njboating.org.
In other township news, each year the Brick Township PBA Local 230 celebrates police officers’ accomplishments during their annual awards dinner.
This map shows the range of the pumpout boats. (Photo courtesy Ocean County)
Police Officer Mike Miller, Badge #218 was named as the Kristopher DeMarco Police Officer of the Year. This award is bestowed upon an officer who exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and commitment to public safety.
Officer Miller has been a member of the Brick Police Department since 2004 and has served as a Field Training Officer, and has served on the SERT team and Marine Unit.
Police Detective Tara Schinder was awarded the Lt. Thomas McNelis Award. This award is bestowed upon a member of the department who is in a supervisor or specialty role, who has brought public acclaim to his or herself, the department or the law enforcement profession.
Detective Schinder has been a member of the Brick Police Department since 2003 and has served in the Detective Bureau since 2016. She is well-known in the community through her time as a DARE officer.
Among her responsibilities are tracking registered sex offenders for Megan’s Law, serving as a negotiator and working on many cases involving the most vulnerable members of the society.
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