the jewel of the community
Hammonton Lake has long been considered the jewel of Hammonton by members of the community, young and old. Many community members have fond memories of swimming in the lake, an activity which is no longer safe to do due to increasing pollution from stormwater runoff. Restoration efforts focused on saving the lake have been in motion for last 20 years, but unfortunately the water quality levels are still too unhealthy for safe swimming on most days. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem and we can start to restore the lake by setting up a stormwater utility in Hammonton.
What is a stormwater utility?
A stormwater utility is a mechanism used for the purpose of stormwater management. Fees can be as low as $4.00 per month and are paid by community members in accordance with the amount of impervious surface on the property. This is because impervious surfaces, such as asphalt, cause stormwater to runoff into local waterways, such as Hammonton Lake. The money that is paid into the stormwater utility can then only be spent on stormwater management for that community. Setting up a stormwater utility in Hammonton will enable the proper steps to be taken in order to limit the amount of pollutants that reach the lake due to stormwater run off. For more information on stormwater, please visit this link for the Flood Defense New Jersey webpage.
sign the petition
Town leaders in Hammonton need to know that residents support the creation of the a stormwater utility. Sign the petition and show your support.
Read the June 6, 2022 editorial from the Hammonton Gazette – Perspective: Creating a stormwater utility, author Molly Riley, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters
Podcasts
Listen to our interview with Associate Professor Emma Witt from Stockton University as she describes her work monitoring the water quality at Hammonton Lake.