What Ocean County Utilities Authority does

Ocean County Utilities Authority (OCUA) is a county-level public utilities authority established in 1976 under New Jersey law and headquartered in Bayville, NJ. It operates an integrated regional wastewater reclamation system consisting of three secondary treatment facilities — the Central Water Pollution Control Facility (32 MGD, Berkeley Township, online November 1979), Northern Water Pollution Control Facility (32 MGD, Brick Township, online 1976), and Southern Water Pollution Control Facility (20 MGD, Stafford Township, online 1977) — with a combined 80 MGD treatment capacity serving 36 municipalities (31 in Ocean County and 5 in Southern Monmouth County). The collection system comprises 40 pumping stations, approximately 200 miles of force main and gravity lines, and three ocean outfall lines that discharge treated effluent more than one mile offshore at depths of 40+ feet, achieving 90%+ pollutant removal.

OCUA generates revenue primarily through usage-based bulk sewage rates ($4,286.00 per million gallons in the published 2026 Rate Schedule) charged to its municipal participants, supplemented by septage disposal fees ($72.48/thousand gallons), graywater disposal fees ($33.66/thousand gallons), high-strength waste surcharges (BOD at $0.4377/pound and TSS at $0.4180/pound when exceeding 300 mg/L), and Industrial Pretreatment Program fees under its NJDEP Delegated Local Agency authority. Treatment byproducts are monetized through OCEANGRO®, a registered trademark for pelletized biosolids-based organic fertilizer. The authority has achieved 100% NPDES permit compliance for 34 consecutive years (Central), 28 consecutive years (Southern), and 7 consecutive years (Northern), supported by NACWA Platinum Peak Performance Awards through 2025. OCUA is governed by an appointed Board of Commissioners, has no parent company, no private shareholders, and is funded through service fees, sewer rates, and bond financing rather than equity investment.

Name

Ocean County Utilities Authority

Legal name

Ocean County Utilities Authority

Website

https://ocua.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ocean County Utilities Authority is a New Jersey public utilities authority operating three wastewater treatment facilities with 80 MGD combined capacity, serving 36 municipalities across Ocean and Southern Monmouth Counties through usage-based sewer rates, surcharges, and byproduct fertilizer sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Reclamation & Reuse Production (Tertiary/Advanced Treatment) (EUANADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment services
• Municipal utilities authority
• Sewage reclamation operations
• Industrial pretreatment program
• Biosolids fertilizer production

Headquarters

HQ city

Bayville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Wastewater Treatment Services: OCUA provides wastewater treatment services to 36 municipalities. Revenue is generated through bulk sewage rates charged to municipal participants, plus surcharges for high-strength waste loads (BOD and TSS exceeding 300 mg/L thresholds)
2. Septage and Graywater Disposal: Fees charged to septage haulers for disposal of septage and graywater at treatment facilities. Rates are based on volume (per thousand gallons)
3. OCEANGRO Fertilizer Sales: Revenue from the sale of OCEANGRO organic fertilizer produced from stabilized and pelletized biosolids generated during wastewater treatment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ocean County Utilities Authority provides regional wastewater collection, treatment, and reclamation services to 36 municipalities in Ocean and Southern Monmouth Counties through three secondary treatment facilities with a combined 80 MGD capacity, supported by 40 pumping stations and 200 miles of collection mains. Services include bulk sewage treatment, septage and graywater disposal, and administration of the NJDEP-delegated Industrial Pretreatment Program, with treated effluent discharged to the Atlantic Ocean via three outfall lines. Byproducts are converted into OCEANGRO® organic fertilizer.

Product overview

Ocean County Utilities Authority operates an integrated regional wastewater reclamation system with three distinct treatment facilities (Central, Northern, and Southern divisions) with a combined capacity of 80 million gallons per day. The system serves 36 municipalities and includes 40 pumping stations and 200 miles of collection infrastructure. OCUA's product portfolio centers on wastewater collection and treatment as the core offering, supplemented by the OCEANGRO® fertilizer brand (produced from recycled biosolids), the Industrial Pretreatment Program for regulatory compliance, Septage/Graywater disposal services, and public education/tour programs. The three treatment facilities function as regional infrastructure with the Central and Northern plants each rated at 32 MGD and the Southern plant at 20 MGD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OCEANGRO®: Organic fertilizer product derived from stabilized and pelletized biosolids produced during the wastewater treatment process

Products and services

• Central Water Pollution Control Facility (CWPCF) Secondary wastewater reclamation facility located in Berkeley Township with 32 million gallons per day rated capacity. Home to Authority Administrative Offices, Fertilizer Manufacturing Division, Central Services, and Technical Services Divisions, plus nineteen pumping stations. Discharges treated effluent via ocean outfall.
• Northern Water Pollution Control Facility (NWPCF) Secondary wastewater treatment facility located in Brick Township, Ocean County, with a maximum capacity of 32 million gallons per day. Serves Bay Head, Brick, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Borough, Lakewood, and Jackson Townships. Operated by 40 employees and 8 pump stations. Also processes sewage from Manasquan River Regional Sewage Authority.
• Southern Water Pollution Control Facility (SWPCF) Secondary wastewater treatment facility located in Stafford Township designed to treat domestic and light industrial waste at 20 million gallons per day. Effluent is discharged via a 5,000-foot outfall pipe into the Atlantic Ocean.
• Wastewater Collection System Collection infrastructure consisting of forty pumping stations, approximately 200 miles of force main and gravity lines, and three ocean outfall lines serving 31 municipalities in Ocean County and 5 municipalities in Monmouth County.
• Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) Federal-mandated program administered under NJDEP Delegated Local Agency status ensuring industrial discharges do not interfere with treatment processes, contaminate effluent, or impact biosolids. Includes permitting, self-monitoring reports, unannounced sampling, and inspections for non-domestic industrial and commercial dischargers.
• Septage and Graywater Disposal Services Accepts septage and graywater at Central and Southern Treatment Plants from residents and commercial establishments within the OCUA service area. Waste must be hauled by registered Septage Haulers with current agreements and proper manifests. Septage rate: $72.48 per thousand gallons; graywater rate: $33.66 per thousand gallons.
• OCEANGRO® Organic Fertilizer
• Boat Pump Out Program Environmental protection service for safe disposal of boat waste, preventing water pollution. Operated in partnership with the Ocean County Planning Board to provide pump-out services for boat holding tanks.
• Discharge Permit Application Services Permit application services for non-domestic users to discharge into the OCUA system. Includes Sewer Rules and Regulations, Discharge Permit Applications, Permit Fees, Sanitary Sewer Extensions, and Temporary Discharge of Treated Groundwater applications.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority (MRRSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRRSA sewage is treated by the Northern Water Pollution Control Facility. This regional partnership allows for consolidated wastewater treatment services across multiple jurisdictions.
• Naval Air Engineering Station LakehurstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal military installation in Ocean County that participates in OCUA's wastewater treatment services as a participant municipality.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District: Large multi-county regional sewer authority operating treatment plants and collection infrastructure serving member communities. Comparable as a multi-municipal regional wastewater authority with delegated regulatory responsibilities and similar compliance-driven operating model.
• Narragansett Bay Commission: Rhode Island regional wastewater authority serving multiple municipalities with ocean-outfall discharge and similar NPDES-driven compliance obligations. Highly comparable operating model, including ocean discharge and biosolids management.
• Middlesex County Utilities Authority: New Jersey county utilities authority providing wastewater treatment services to multiple municipalities. Closely comparable as a county-level public authority in the same state regulatory regime (NJDEP) with similar industrial pretreatment and surcharge frameworks.
• Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority: Regional wastewater authority serving Camden County municipalities under New Jersey utility-authority structure. Comparable governance, customer base (multiple municipalities), and treatment/discharge operating model.
• Bergen County Utilities Authority: New Jersey county-level wastewater authority operating treatment facilities for multiple municipalities under a similar public-authority governance structure. Directly comparable in service model, regulatory compliance obligations, and municipal customer base.
• Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission: New Jersey regional wastewater treatment authority serving a multi-municipal customer base with similar delegated regulatory roles, ocean/river discharge, and surcharge-based revenue model. Directly comparable to OCUA in governance structure and core service offering, though significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• DC Water (District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority): Much larger regional water and wastewater utility authority. Comparable as a public authority operating regional wastewater infrastructure under regulatory compliance regimes, but materially larger scale and broader service mandate.
• Philadelphia Water Department: Large municipal water and wastewater utility operating treatment facilities for the City of Philadelphia. Comparable in offering wastewater treatment and biosolids management at scale, but organized as a city department rather than an independent regional authority.

Others

• American Water Works / New Jersey American Water: Large investor-owned water and wastewater utility, with NJ American Water actually a customer of OCUA. Comparable as a regulated water/wastewater services provider but operating a private utility model with broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority: Smaller New Jersey regional sewerage authority whose sewage is actually processed by OCUA's Northern facility. Directly comparable service profile but operates as a feeder authority rather than a treatment-plant operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ocean County Utilities Authority