(11/P39) TRENTON - The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting to discuss Burlington County's draft sewer service area map on Tuesday, March 29, as part of a planning effort to update the Wastewater Management Plan for Burlington County.

At issue will be a service area covering all or parts of the following 31 Burlington County municipalities: Bass River, Beverly, Burlington City, Burlington Township, Chesterfield, Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Edgewater Park, Evesham, Fieldsboro, Maple Shade, Medford Lakes, Mount Laurel, New Hanover, North Hanover, Palmyra, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Riverside, Riverton, Shamong, Southampton, Springfield, Tabernacle, Washington, Willingboro, Woodland, Wrightstown, and sections of Moorestown and Westampton.

The remaining Burlington County municipalities will be covered in separate, future meetings.

The map to be discussed on March 29 is a preliminary working draft, developed by DEP and reviewed by Burlington County and the affected municipalities. 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.co.burlington.nj.us/upload/RC_Watershed/Images/Maps.pdf

The meeting will take place on the third floor of Laurel Hall, located in the Mount Laurel Campus of Burlington County College between 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The DEP and Burlington County will accept comments and information related to the maps from the date of the public notice posting until April 24, which is 30 days after the public meeting.