From the News Transcript:
High water, sewer bills spark resident outrage
Rob Nicastro and his neighbors are drowning in water bills, and the residents of the Reserve at Manasquan, a Lennar development, say they are not going to stand for it.
The development is on Route 524 in the Adelphia section of Howell, across the street from the Surrey Downs adult community. Lennar lists the base prices of the houses from $680,950 to $785,950.
The issue arose when Nicastro moved to Howell from New York in June. With new sod freshly laid, Nicastro said he was told by a Lennar representative that the lawn needed to be watered every day in order for the grass to take root. An irrigation system was included with the homes in the new development.
Nicastro, a retired New York law enforcement officer and former resident of Staten Island, N.Y., said he did as he was told. Then he received his quarterly bill from New Jersey-American Water Co., which also included his sewer bill.
“It’s over $1,500,” he said. “Some [of his neighbors’ bills] are $1,800.”
Shocked by the charge, Nicastro called the water company to get some answers. He was told he had been charged correctly.
…
“When I called, they told me the sewer [charge] is based on water consumption,” he said. “If I would have known this from the beginning, I would have shut my sprinklers off.”
…
“Everybody pays for the water they use, just as if they had used electricity,” she said. “He had new sod, he watered it continually. The sewer billing is based on what goes through the system. If he wants to put in a separate sprinkler system, then that water would not go against his sewer bill. He wants us to do something, but I really don’t know what we can do.”
Negligence on the owners and developers. This has been around for years, sewer costs are based on water consumption.
You get around this by installing a second water meter for your irrigation purposes.
-Richie
“…This has been around for years, sewer costs are based on water consumption.
You get around this by installing a second water meter for your irrigation purposes.”
I don’t believe my water bill in Bergen County includes a sewer charge based upon water consumption. It’s a part of property taxes. But the water is not supplied by the town but by United Water (aka Hackansack Water Co.).
I’ve never heard of putting in a seperate meter for sprinkler syetems. So they “tag” that meter and do not charge you the sewer charge? I guess if you had a pool you would want a seperate meter as well. Hell, at $1,500 I’d have one for just washing the car and other outdoor water use!
If I had time this morning I could really get into this, but here’s the short version.
Since the late 80s early 90s Howell has been a water/sewer nightmare with rates way, way higher than neighboring towns. It’s really a great story, but suffice to say the township’s MUA was dissolved, $18 million seems to have went missing, and the cost of water/sewer is something that new homeowners are never prepared for.
BTW, the best part of this joke is that the houses were built on an old sod farm.
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