Manasquan officials said they expect the borough's new water treatment plant to be up and running by the end of the month.

The old wells have been capped and the borough is just waiting for final approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection before the new $3.8 million plant can begin pumping water to residents, Councilman Ed Donovan said Monday.

The DEP has already approved most of the borough's new wells, but officials are still waiting to receive a letter from the agency approving one more, Donovan said.

Donovan said he received word that the DEP had already signed the letter approving the final well, but the borough as of Monday night had yet to receive the document.

A full-scale test of the new wells is scheduled for Feb. 21, and if all goes to plan, the new plant will be activated by the end of February, Donovan said.

Last month, the process hit a minor snag after officials discovered an old underground storage tank that needed remediation.

"It was unanticipated. Unfortunately it looks like it's going to carry some costs to completely remediate what's happened over there," Borough Engineer Charles Rooney said last month.

Crews discovered the tank while they were entrenching an upgraded electrical conduit from the old plant to the new treatment facility, Rooney has said.

The borough will need to remove some soil and possibly treat the groundwater, Rooney has said.

Rooney has said he would have to put a plan together to present the council before the total costs could be estimated.

The remediation has delayed the borough's ability to upgrade its water interconnection with Brielle, Rooney has said.