General Procedures and Instructions
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:14A-22.1 et seq, certain activities require a Treatment Works Approval (TWA) from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). When such an approval is required, the applicant must adhere to the following procedures in order to obtain the necessary GCUA endorsements and approvals.
Step 1: GCUA Endorsement for NJDEP Treatment Works Approval (TWA)
Each application must be reviewed by GCUA staff and be presented to the GCUA Board of Commissioners for endorsement, by resolution, at a Public Meeting. Meetings of the Board of Commissioners of the GCUA are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Deviations to this meeting schedule will be posted on GCUA’s website at www.gcuanj.com.
Every effort is made by GCUA to process applications in a timely manner. In order to ensure the prompt review and endorsement of an application, the following procedures must be followed and will be strictly adhered to:
1. Applications must be submitted on forms provided by the GCUA Click here to our Download Center to fill out our applications.
2. Applications must be received by GCUA no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting date.
3. Incomplete applications, including those absent the required signatures, will be rejected and returned to the applicant for completion and resubmission.
4. Applications are processed by the GCUA in the order in which they were received.
Following endorsement by the GCUA, the project package will be returned to the applicant for submission to the NJDEP for approval. Upon receipt of the Treatment Works Approval from the NJDEP, the applicant can proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Allocation of Capacity
All projects holding NJDEP Treatment Works Approvals issued after July 20, 1977 must receive an Allocation of Capacity from the GCUA prior to the introduction of wastewater flow into the sanitary sewer.
An applicant may request an Allocation of Capacity for a project provided the NJDEP Treatment Works Approval is valid at the time of the request. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the NJDEP TWA has not expired and that all Special Provisos of the TWA, if any, have been complied with.
The GCUA will grant Allocations of Capacity in accordance with its Policy and Procedure in effect at the time the application is received. A copy of GCUA’s prevailing Policy and Procedures may be obtained upon request.
Each request for Allocation of Capacity must be approved by the GCUA Board of Commissioners by the adoption of a formal resolution at a Public Meeting.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that his application is complete when submitted and signed by the appropriate local authority. Incomplete applications, including those absent the required signatures, will be rejected and returned to the applicant for completion and resubmission. In order to ensure that a request for Allocation of Capacity is placed on the meeting agenda, the completed application must be received by the GCUA no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting date. This requirement will be strictly adhered to.
After approval by the GCUA, the Sanitary Sewerage Connection Fee Permit(s) will be issued.
Proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Approval to Operate
No sanitary sewer system, or portion thereof, may be placed into operation without the prior approval of the GCUA
Pursuant to NJDEP rules and regulations, within 30 days after the construction of the treatment works has been completed, the TWA permittee must submit two (2) executed copies of NJDEP Form WQM-005, “Certificate For Approval By Professional Engineer” to the GCUA for approval prior to operation. (In the case of partially completed projects, partial operation approval is required.)
The permittee must also submit a fully executed copy of GCUA Application Form OP-5, “Application For GCUA Approval To Operate Sanitary Sewers”. Upon approval by the GCUA, one executed copy of Form WQM-005 and copies of the appropriate GCUA resolutions approving Allocation(s) of Capacity for the project will be forwarded to the NJDEP for their records.