HOBOKEN - In what city officials hope will be a major step toward the end of Hoboken's chronic flooding problem, the North Hudson Sewerage Authority's downtown pump will be operational in less than two weeks, according to the NHSA.

The NHSA announced that the dedication of the pump will be held on Oct. 17.

The new pump is underground near the downtown New Jersey Transit terminal, and is designed to push water out from the city’s sewer system into the Hudson River after basic filtering to meet environmental regulations. Only one portion of the pump's system, seen in the photo to the left, will be viewable at street level.

The $18 million pump was paid for by the NHSA with the help of a $5 million federal grant.

“The pump is designed to push out 100 million gallons per day,” said Richard Wolff, the executive director of the NHSA in an interview with The Reporter. “Perhaps not in a hurricane, but in most severe rain events, the flooding will either be eliminated or minimized. I think that’s a reasonable expectation for residents to have.”

The southwest portion of the city frequently floods when heavy rain occurs during high tide of the Hudson River.

For much more on the pump and Hoboken's flooding, make sure to pick up a copy of The Hoboken Reporter this weekend.

- Ray Smith