NHSA installs separate stormwater line for north Hoboken to reduce wastewater overflows in Hudson River

FBW | July 29, 2026

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs): A Major Source of Waterway Pollution

On summer weekends, the all-volunteer Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse (HCCB) operates a popular free kayaking program. In bold red letters on its website, HCCB recently announced: “Kayaking on July 19 is cancelled due to poor water quality.”

The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch for Hoboken as another storm approached. On Saturday, July 18, Hoboken was pummeled with 1.5 inches of rain over a four-hour period, with the heaviest rainfall coinciding with high tide. This combination overwhelmed the sewage treatment plant, causing untreated wastewater to flow into the Hudson River—an event known as a combined sewer overflow (CSO).

Today, CSOs are a leading source of pollution in the Hudson River and waterways across the country. In older cities like Hoboken, aging infrastructure relies on a single pipe to carry both wastewater and stormwater. During dry weather, sewage flows to a treatment plant, is treated to acceptable standards and then discharged.

During heavy rainstorms, however, the volume of water exceeds the sewage treatment plant’s capacity. Untreated wastewater is diverted directly into nearby waterways. As a result, water testing usually shows elevated levels of bacteria and fecal contamination during and after major storms. After the passage of the federal Clean Water Act in 1972, the EPA has required towns across the country to comply with the new water standards. Municipalities and sewerage authorities have been compelled to make major investments to upgrade sewage treatment systems and reduce CSOs. 

NHSA Infrastructure Project Separates Sewer and Stormwater

This year, the North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) completed a $100 million infrastructure project aimed at reducing CSO pollution and improving water quality in the Hudson River. Twelve thousand feet of new stormwater lines, independent of existing sewer pipes, have been installed in north Hoboken, along with new curb inlets. The project spans a 15-block area from 13th to 16th Street, between Madison Street and Willow Avenue. The project has been funded through a series of low-interest loans and loan forgiveness through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

During rainstorms, the new pipes will direct stormwater runoff  to a one-million-gallon, underground storage tank located beneath Northwest Resiliency Park at 13th and Madison Streets. A wet-weather pump will then discharge the stored stormwater (after a delay), once the treatment plant has sufficient capacity.

NHSA received a  federal grant to implement this project, which represents another significant step toward modernizing Hoboken’s stormwater management system.

NHSA Supplements Rebuild by Design Flood Strategies

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy pushed waters from the Atlantic Ocean into New York Harbor, devastating waterfront communities including Hoboken. In response, the federal government launched the Rebuild by Design competition, selecting ten projects across the Northeast to advance innovative flood mitigation strategies.

Hoboken was selected for a comprehensive approach known as Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge, developed by a team led by a Dutch firm. The initial $230 million grant focused largely on “resist” measures, building floodwalls designed to protect against future storm surges.

This NHSA project complements the other “delay, store, discharge” strategies. Stormwater is diverted into the Northwest Resiliency Park storage system, and sent to the treatment facility gradually after storms subside and treatment capacity is restored.