(11/P27) TRENTON - The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Cumberland County's draft sewer service area map on Thursday, March 31, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for this county.

At issue will be a service area covering all or parts of 13 Cumberland County municipalities: Bridgeton, Commercial, Deerfield, Downe, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hopewell, Maurice River, Millville, Lawrence, Shiloh, Stow Creek and Upper Deerfield.

Vineland, which is currently part of the Landis Sewerage Authority Wastewater Management Plan, is excluded from this meeting.

The map to be discussed on March 31 is a preliminary working draft, developed in coordination with and reviewed by DEP, Cumberland County and the affected cities and towns. It reflects proposed changes in wastewater service area designations to eliminate conflicts with Category One waters, wetlands, threatened and endangered species habitats and other unique and rare ecological communities.

The draft is subject to change in response to information provided by the public. The preliminary working draft map can be viewed at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/watershedmgt/DOCS/cumberlandmap20110331.pdf.

This is a public information session where residents and developers can examine maps and ask questions concerning the proposed changes in sewer service area designation.

The meeting will take place at the Cumberland County/Rutgers Extension Education Center, 291 Morton Avenue in Millville between 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Department and County will accept comments and information related to this map from the date of the posting of this public notice until April 30, which is 30 days after the public meeting.