Crowds jam the boardwalk after the 2014 Aerobatic Air Show in Ocean City, NJ, on Sept. 14.
Ocean City merchants and real estate agents already have reported a
banner season for summer 2014. The city broke a revenue record for beach tag sales and likely will do the same for parking fee collections.
But in case anybody doubts that 2014 was busier than 2013, one of the best indicators is just in: sewerage flow reports.
The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority tracks the millions of gallons of wastewater that flow through its treatment plant at 45th Street in Ocean City. Because per capita water usage is relatively stable, the flow statistics are a good gauge of how many people are in town, according to Roger McLarnon, director of Community Operations in Ocean City.
The reports show a 16.9 percent increase in wastewater volume from August 2013 to August 2014, and a 7.9 percent increase from July 2013 to July 2014.
[table]Year,July Gallons,August Gallons
2013,"141,827,000","135,486,000"
2014,"153,077,000","158,413,000"
Change,+7.9%,+16.9%[/table]
McLarnon noted that there appeared to be no significant issues with leaks or infiltrations to the sewer system that could have affected the flow rates. The reports show wastewater from toilets, showers, sinks and appliances. They do not reflect outdoor water usage that flows into the ground or storm drain system.
A closer look at the daily statistics shows some interesting trends reflective of the Ocean City summer population:
- Fridays and Sundays in July and August typically show volume greater than Saturdays — the day for vacation rental changeovers.
- Friday, July 4 saw the greatest volume of the month at 6,437,000 gallons.
- Night in Venice (a changeover day on Saturday, July 26) generated 5,009,000 gallons, but the following Sunday saw 5,703,000 gallons.
- The biggest day of the summer: Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 7,449,000 gallons.
The need to maintain a system capable of handling peak summer volume is cited the primary reason that Ocean City's water and sewer bills are so high compared to other towns.
See: FAQs on Water and Sewer Bills in Ocean City, NJ.
