What South Kearny and Kearny Point are
Wikipedia describes South Kearny as an industrial district at the northern end of Newark Bay, on the peninsula once called New Barbadoes Neck. The Passaic River runs along its western border and the mouth of the Hackensack River is at its eastern tip. The page does not describe any residential use.
Industry and logistics
Most of the point is part of Foreign-Trade Zone 49. Facilities include the Hudson County Correctional Facility and River Terminal, a large distribution warehouse.
Kearny Point
The peninsula includes the former Western Electric Kearny Works site and the former Kearny Yard of Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock, now also known as Kearny Point. A 2021 NJBIZ report described it as a 130-acre office and business center on a former shipyard.
Studios and offices
Wikipedia lists three film and television studios at Kearny Point: Palisades Stages, Mile End Studios and 10 Basin Studios. We are not affiliated with any tenant and cite them only to describe the district.
Why plumbing in a commercial building works differently
A warehouse, a studio and an office building each have a different fixture count, different peak water use and different drain loads. A building with a few restrooms and a break room is a light user. A building that adds a kitchen, a wash bay or production sets with sinks and drains changes the picture.
That is why the first questions on a commercial call are about the building, not the fixture: how many people, how many restrooms, whether there is a kitchen or a wash area, and which parts are the owner's and which are the tenant's. A lease often decides who calls the plumber, so it is worth reading before the problem starts.
What a commercial property manager can prepare before a call
Having these on hand shortens a call and avoids guesswork.
- The main water shutoff location, and a name for who is allowed to close it.
- Whether the building drains to the town sewer or to the Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority system.
- Floor plans or a sketch showing restrooms, floor drains, grease traps or interceptors and the water heater.
- A list of recent plumbing work and any open permits.
- After-hours contacts and access instructions for the site.
Sewer authority and water for the Meadowlands side
The Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority describes itself as responsible for wastewater collection in portions of the Meadowlands District and the South Kearny commercial and industrial areas. It reports five pumping stations and about 11 miles of sewer, sends flows to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission for final treatment and has emergency staff on call around the clock.
Some low-lying parts of Kearny use sanitary pumping stations because waste will not flow by gravity. If you manage a building here, find out which authority serves the property, because it decides who to call about the street sewer and what applies to a private lateral. Drinking water comes from the Kearny Water Department, and Veolia's line for main breaks is (201) 955-7406.
Plumbing plans in Kearny must follow the National Standard Plumbing Code, 2024 edition, according to the town's construction code page. For a commercial building, ask the code office which subcodes apply to the use of the building, since gas, fire protection and backflow rules can be separate.
Source: Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority and Town of Kearny water department pages
Plumbing problem at a South Kearny property?
Call (973) 488-5410 with the address and the type of building, and we will talk through the next step with a clear price before work starts.
Call (973) 488-5410Commercial services that fit this district
Our commercial plumbing page lists what we cover for businesses. For a drain line that keeps clogging, hydro jetting can clean it more thoroughly than a cable, and a camera look through sewer inspection shows what the pipe actually looks like before anyone proposes a repair.
For a restroom or break room, the jobs are the same as in any building: a running toilet, a leaking faucet, a failed water heater. A tenant improvement that adds fixtures is plumbing installation and needs a permit.
Permits and inspections for commercial work
New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for plumbing work on existing buildings, with an exemption only for ordinary maintenance such as routine repair. Applications go to the local enforcing agency, and Kearny's construction code office says all permits require an inspection and that a new or replacement hot water heater needs a zoning permit and a construction permit with the plumbing subcode.
Permit rules vary by job and by building use, so ask the Kearny construction code office before commercial work starts.
Source: NJ Uniform Construction Code summary and Kearny Construction Code Enforcement page
What to do while you wait: a leak or backup in a commercial building
Facility staff can limit damage before a plumber arrives. Do these in order.
- Close the nearest fixture shutoff or the building main, depending on where the water is, and tell people on site who is allowed to open it again.
- Move stock, electronics and paper off the floor, and switch off power to wet areas only if you can reach the panel without standing in water.
- For a backup, stop using restrooms, sinks and floor drains on that line, and mark the area off so staff and visitors stay out.
- Call (973) 488-5410 with the address, the floor, what you see and who can meet the plumber on site.
Frequently asked questions
No. Sources describe it as an industrial district at the eastern end of Kearny. This page is for commercial and industrial buildings. For houses, see our Arlington and Manor Section pages.
It is the former Kearny Yard of Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock on the South Kearny peninsula, described in 2021 as a business center with offices and film and television studios. It is a district name, and we are not affiliated with its tenants.
The Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority says it collects wastewater in portions of the Meadowlands District and the South Kearny commercial and industrial areas. Ask which authority serves your property.
State code requires a construction permit for plumbing work on existing buildings, with an exemption only for ordinary maintenance. All permits require an inspection. Ask the Kearny construction code office about your job.
Call (973) 488-5410 and tell us the address. Kearny, Harrison, North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Belleville are the towns this site covers.
Managing a commercial building here? Call with the address and we will tell you what we need to know before anyone is sent.
Call (973) 488-5410