Brick is the odd one out, with a river in its water supply
Brick water comes from the Metedeconk River, the Brick Reservoir, wells nearly 2,000 feet deep in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer and a small amount from the Cohansey. Brick Township MUA, also called Brick Utilities, delivers about 3.0 billion gallons a year.
Sources checked .
That makes Brick unusual on this site. The other suppliers whose sources appear in our town-by-town table describe wells. A river-fed system reads differently, and surface water gets its own concerns about what runs off the land above the intake.
| Item | Reported |
|---|---|
| Served | Over 100,000 residents of northern Ocean County and Monmouth County |
| River source | Metedeconk River, 70-square-mile watershed |
| Storage | Brick Reservoir |
| Deep wells | Nearly 2,000 feet, Potomac-Raritan-Magothy |
| Other | A small amount from the Cohansey |
| Yearly volume | About 3.0 billion gallons |
| Lead service lines | "does not have any" |
| 2024 administrative violations | Three, on lead line inventory submissions |
BTMUA 2025 annual report
Does Brick have lead lines?
The MUA says none, in the words "does not have any lead service lines." Its report also shows three state administrative violations for 2024, over submissions on the lead line inventory, plan and progress. Go to the report for its own explanation. Our brief on line notices explains the state law behind that paperwork. House plumbing is separate from the service line, so ask if you have older pipe indoors.
What is known about the Metedeconk?
USGS studied it closely. Its base-flow work found total nitrogen highest in the North Branch and the Toms River, at 0.84 to 1.36 mg/L, mostly as nitrate, where the land is heavily developed. USGS slides call the river's isotope readings "consistent with possible septic, sewage, manure source," which stops short of naming a main cause. Those are river studies, and they do not report on treated water at your tap. The annual report covers that.
Is Brick in the Pinelands?
No Brick listing appears among the 14 Ocean County towns on the Commission's 2021 list. Private wells in town still follow the state's testing law at sale, including the mercury test added for Ocean County.
Who handles Brick's sewage?
The Ocean County Utilities Authority lists the Brick MUA as a customer. If your own street's connection is in doubt, the MUA can tell you, and our brief on telling the two apart helps.
Which stories fit a bayfront house?
Low equipment and the sewer lateral are the first things to look at on the water, so bayfront owners may want our story on lagoon houses and the one on high water and pipes.
Who to ask
- Brick Township MUA: your annual report, how it answered the 2024 violations, and sewer connection questions.
- Ocean County Health Department: septic rules, and any private well in town.
- Barnegat Bay Partnership: the watershed the Metedeconk feeds.
Read next for Brick
On a well
- A well must be tested before a sale can close
- New Jersey's sale test has checked wells for three PFAS since 2021
- Two yearly tests catch the problems a well owner cannot taste
- After floodwater reaches a well, the pump stays off until someone checks wiring
- If road salt worries you, add chloride to the test
On town water
- Ocean County's water comes from many suppliers and several different aquifers
- When the utility's PFAS notice arrives, start with the limit it names
- Your water report is mostly one table, and it reads left to right
- The letter about your service line comes from a 2021 state law
- Somewhere near the curb, the water line becomes yours
Septic & sewer
- The board of health signs off on septic work, and owners report trouble
- Selling a house with a cesspool usually means the cesspool has to go
- After a flood, leave the septic tank alone until the field drains
- Septic or sewer? The bill and the health department file can settle it
- A sewer-line valve can stop a backup, if the house has sewer
Raised houses
- Lifting a house moves the plumbing into the weather and the flood
- Those holes in the foundation wall are required, and must stay open
- A raised house puts its water lines out in the cold
- Where the water heater goes once the house goes up
- After the water drops, leave the switches and pilot lights alone
- Salt air works on the metal holding your pipes up
Lagoons & bay
Where this comes from
- BTMUA 2025 report - sources, volume, lead lines, violations.
- USGS SIR 2012-5287 - base-flow nitrogen.
- USGS slides at the Pinelands Commission - isotope signals.
- Pinelands Area Municipalities, August 24, 2021 - list of towns.
- Ocean County Utilities Authority home page - customer list (archived copy).