Water infrastructure improvements for Township of Lower

MANALAPAN, N.J. - June 9, 2004 - Schoor DePalma, a regional engineering and consulting firm, announced that it will perform six separate projects in the Villas section of The Township of Lower, N.J., through its recent 2004 appointment as Engineer of Record (EOR) for the Township of Lower Municipal Utility Authority (TTLMUA).

Project work in Lower Township by Schoor DePalma includes wetlands delineation, design of a one million gallon elevated water tank, design and construction of two replacement wells, and development of a vulnerability assessment and emergency response plan. These improvements are based on TTLMUA's water master plan, which was developed by Schoor DePalma in 2002. The water master plan cited the current state and stipulated future needs of Township of Lower's water infrastructure. Other improvements by Schoor DePalma in the Township include the replacement of an existing sanitary sewer pump station.

"Improvements to our water infrastructure will help improve our existing equipment and upgrade water quality in the Villas section of the Township of Lower," said Cliff Gall, Executive Director of TTLMUA. "We selected Schoor DePalma to perform these projects because of the company's work on our master plan and because of the in-depth knowledge of company experts."

For the first project, Schoor DePalma experts will perform wetlands delineation on 200 acres of land owned by TTLMUA around the current Villas wastewater treatment plant. The work will identify where current wetlands exist and provide an indication of available space for future build-out of TTLMUA's water infrastructure.

Schoor DePalma is also replacing two wells in Township of Lower, which are located near the Cape May Airport. The new wells will replace outdated existing wells with energy-efficient wells and also help TTLMUA to better meet stringent drinking water regulations. Schoor DePalma will also design a new one million gallon elevated water tank for use by TTLMUA customers. Once construction is completed, the new tank will help to improve water quality throughout Villas. Schoor DePalma will also replace an existing metal sanitary sewer pump station with a new concrete submersible pump station.

Experts from Schoor DePalma will also complete a vulnerability assessment and emergency response plan for the Township of Lower's water infrastructure. The assessment and response plan were completed for TTLMUA in compliance with the national Public Health, Security, and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act signed into law by President Bush in June 2002. Since enacted, the EPA has required municipalities across the country to undergo vulnerability assessments and implement emergency response plans for their water systems.

"Based on the master plan developed by Schoor DePalma for TTLMUA in 2002, our experts are significantly improving the water infrastructure for the Township of Lower," said Stephen DePalma, Chairman and CEO of Schoor DePalma. "Our work will help improve water quality, update existing infrastructure, and protect the water supply from unlawful activities."

About Schoor DePalma

Schoor DePalma, the region's leading engineering and consulting firm, offers a broad range of consulting services for the public and private sector from 12 office locations throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. The company's eight divisions include: construction services; environmental; facilities engineering; municipal services; real estate services; traffic & planning; transportation; and water resources.

In the past year, Schoor DePalma has been awarded a number of prestigious regional and industry awards such as: 96th among the top 500 overall design firms and 61st among the top 100 pure design firms in the nation in 2004 by Engineering News-Record; "New Jersey's Finest" by NJBIZ in 2001, 2002 and 2003; and in the top five of the "Best Civil Engineering Firms to Work For" by CE News in 2001, 2002 and 2003. For more information on Schoor DePalma, please call 732-577-9000 or visit our website at www.schoordepalma.com.