The Camden County Health Department has determined that a substance on the surface of Hopkins Pond in Haddonfield is not sewage and does not pose a threat to public health.
Haddonfield’s Water and Sewer Department received a report at about 3 p.m. on Thursday that an unidentified substance was flowing into the pond near Grove Street. Borough representatives observed a sheen on the surface of the pond in that region, but no solids. There was no detectable odor.
In response to a second report, to the Haddonfield Police Department at about 6 p.m., Borough officials called in the Camden County Health Department and Parks Department, and notified the Haddonfield School District. The J. Fithian Tatem Elementary School is near the pond, and some students walk by the pond on their way to and from school.
At about 10 o’clock on Thursday night, a member of the County’s HAZMAT (hazardous materials) unit advised Borough officials that the as-yet unidentified substance was benign. County health and parks representatives will continue to monitor the pond and environs in the coming days.
