About Us

The Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority, also known as TOMSA, held its original organization meeting on Thursday, March 31, 1966. TOMSA was formed by the Township of Middletown for the purpose of meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of the rapidly developing Township of Middletown. As wastewater related problems in the Township increased, and the number of small wastewater treatment plants serving individual housing subdivisions grew, the need for centralized wastewater collection and treatment became evident. The formation of TOMSA formalized the task of developing this centralized wastewater collection and treatment system. Upon its formation, TOMSA also took over operation and maintenance responsibilities for a number of the small treatment plants serving subdivisions.
 

During 1968, work began on the construction of a centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located in the Belford section of the Township of Middletown . The treatment plant was designed to treat 6.5 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) of Wastewater and to discharge the treated and clarified wastewater into Comptons Creek, a tributary of Raritan Bay. Treated wastewater sludge was barged to the ocean for disposal. The Wastewater Collection Systems needed to convey wastewater from the individual houses to the new treatment plant were installed at the same time.


During 1970, the discharge of wastewater to the Raritan Bay ceased due to the formation of the Monmouth County Bayshore Outfall Authority, also known as MCBOA. MCBOA collects the wastewater from the TOMSA wastewater treatment plant and also from the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority, and pumps that wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean through a 4000 foot long outfall pipe and diffuser.


During the early 1980's, the Township had developed to the point where an expansion of the wastewater treatment plant was necessary. In 1985, an expansion plan was implemented for this Wastewater Treatment Plant, which increased the capacity of the treatment plant from 6.5 MGD to 10.8 MGD.


During 1986, TOMSA began treating the collected wastewater of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. The wastewater of these two communities is pumped into TOMSA's collection system in the Leonardo section of the Township. The collection system of these two communities is maintained by the individual communities.

 

Primary Tanks

Primary Treatment at this plant utilizes long deep rectangular tanks which detain the flow for about two hours, during which time heavy solids settle and oils and greases float. The solids that accumilate on the bottom of the tank are collected and pumped to the Sludge Thickening Tank. The floating oils and greases are also collected and treated in a separate tank by the addition of grease-eating bacteria. The wastewater then flows into the Aeration Tanks for further treatment.


Aeration Tanks

Secondary Treatment at this plant is accomplished by the use of a biological treatment process called "Activated Sludge". This process takes place in long rectangular tanks where incoming water is mixed with micro-organisms and aerated. In the activated sludge process the micro-organisms eat the soild particles in the wastewater and ionize the oxygen as they eat and grow. These micro-organisms then grow large enough so that they can be removed by settling on one of our four final settling tanks.


Final Settling Tank

Some of this resulting secondary sludge is returned to the activated sludge tanks where it mixes with the incoming wastewater. The remaining secondary sludge is removed by the final settling tanks and treated in the stet handling process. The clear treated water is removed from the final settling tanks and flows to the Chlorine Contact Tanks for further treatment.


Chlorine Contact Tank

Prior to the discharge from the treatment plant, the clear treated water is disinfected by the addition of chlorine in the form of Sodium Hypochlorite. The Sodium Hypochlorite is mixed with the clear treated water and allowed to mix for about a half-hour prior to discharge. The clear treated, disinfected water is then discharged to the Monmouth County Bayshore Outfall Authority (MCBOA) which is responsible for the discharge of the treated water into the Atlantic Ocean.


TOMSA Manhole Cover

The TOMSA collection system consists of over 350 miles of underground sewer pipes, including small diameter collector sewers running down the center of the streets to the larger diameter interceptor sewers which transports wastewater directly to the treatment plant. Majority of the sewers run to the treatment plant by gravity. As of 2024, there are over 7,000 of the familiar MTS ( Middletown Sewerage) marked manholes in the collection system.


Mcclees Pump Station

In addition to the gravity portion of the system, there are also fourteen pump stations that lift wastewater when the sewer lines become too deep. Two of the fourteen pump stations pump over 3 million gallons per day of wastewater.