Thousands of people have driven through the Warren County village of Columbia, even if they didn’t know it.
Interstate 80 runs through the Knowlton Township community, connecting New Jersey Routes 94 and 46.
That’s a lot of roads to keep clear in the winter.
Which means a lot of road salt.
That created problems for residents, not to mention their water heaters, according to a report Sunday in the New Jersey Herald that provided an update on the situation.
The Herald report said sources of the salt were identified as the township’s salt shed, and road and parking lot clearing by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, Warren County, the township and an I-80 truck stop.
The Herald reported that some residents retained an attorney and filed tort claims against the government agencies last year, a precursor to a possible lawsuit.
However, some action is being taken.
The Herald reported Knowlton Township has completed a $168,000 rebuild of its salt shed, and is working with the county and NJDOT to better coordinate road-salting and prevent redundancy.
Mayor Adele Starrs also told the newspaper that the township has established a committee to help find solutions for homeowners.