Scientists Track Post Sandy Sewage

One of the worst storms to strike New Jersey in modern history, superstorm Sandy went about slamming the tri-state swallowing up livelihood and displacing thousands from their homes. The extreme carnage has crippled every corner of New Jersey.

Slush-filled homes and streets, no power supply, empty supermarkets with damaged goods and long lines at gas stations; this is the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Yet the damage does not stop here, there are some new concerns emerging.

The enormous destruction caused by Sandy also includes widespread pollution of the Hudson river.

In response to this alarming issue, the scientists at the University of Delaware have taken an initiative to track the millions of gallons of raw sewage that has been dumped in the New Jersey waterways following Sandy. The researchers are using a satellite to predict the sludge's track into the ocean.

"Technically, you can't identify raw sewage from a satellite, but you can find river discharge that you suspect has raw sewage," said Matthew Oliver, assistant professor of oceanography in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. "The reason why is because river discharge usually has a very different temperature and color than the surrounding waters."

Oliver participates in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS), which has been carefully following Hurricane Sandy and its after-effects.

Headquartered at University of Delaware, the organization aggregates ocean data collected along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to North Carolina to share with researchers, government officials and the public.

MARACOOS was contacted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for more information as the storm crawled up the coast.

Xiao-Hai Yan and Mary A. S. Lighthipe, Professor of Oceanography and director of the Center for Remote Sensing, installed the satellite dish at the University to provide real-time coverage of regional disaster events.

"We at UD provide satellite support for MARACOOS," Yan said. "So that is why we have our images focused on that area right now."

Tons of untreated sewage is being discharged into the waterways as Hurricane Sandy rendered several water treatment facilities inoperational, according to NJDEP.

Several advisories were issued in the first week of November to recreational boaters, anglers and crabbers warning them to avoid those waterways and not eat any fish and such from these waters due to the high contamination.

Here is a list of the affected waterways that are located in Nothern New Jersey and  and include the Hudson River, Passaic River, Hackensack River, Newark Bay, Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Raritan River, Sandy Hook Bay and northern Barnegat Bay.