A malfunction at a Burlington County waste facility in New Jersey released thousands of litres of landfill wastewater onto the ground and into a detention basin that outlets to Assiscunk Creek, county officials said.
What happened
According to a Burlington County press release, the spill occurred early on July 14 at the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex, located at 22000 Burlington‑Columbus Road in Florence. Workers from a wastewater hauling company discovered the problem at about 4 a.m. when a pipe failed in the facility's wastewater loading station area.
The break allowed landfill wastewater to spread across the site and flow into a detention basin that has an outfall to Assiscunk Creek. County estimates place the volume of the release between 5,000 and 25,000 gallons.
"Immediate action was taken to contain the spill and limit discharge into the creek."
Response and oversight
Burlington County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling staff are coordinating with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to clean up the release and assess potential environmental impacts. Officials said containment measures were put in place soon after the spill was discovered to reduce further discharge to the creek.
- Location: Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex, 22000 Burlington‑Columbus Road, Florence, N.J.
- Discovery time: approximately 4 a.m. on July 14
- Estimated volume: between 5,000 and 25,000 gallons
- Response: county staff working with New Jersey DEP to clean and contain
Information for the public
County officials encouraged anyone with questions to contact the state DEP or the Burlington County Public Information Office. The DEP contact provided in the county notice is 609‑777‑3373; the county public information email is publicinfo@co.burlington.nj.us.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Facility | Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex |
| Estimated spill | 5,000–25,000 gallons |
| Receiving water | Assiscunk Creek (via detention basin) |
| Authorities involved | Burlington County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling; New Jersey DEP |
For Burlington, Ont., residents the incident underscores the broader public-interest concerns that follow wastewater releases — potential effects on aquatic habitat, downstream water quality and recreational use. While the spill is in New Jersey and not directly connected to local watercourses in Ontario, it is an example of why municipalities and regional authorities maintain monitoring and rapid-response plans for wastewater and landfill-related incidents.
The story was first reported by the Courier‑Post; Risha Inaganti contributed reporting on the incident for that paper.
