Township of Winslow, NJ Sewer Connections; Charges

As used in this chapter, the term "sewer main," "sewer mains," "main" or "mains" shall mean the Township-owned or leased piping and appurtenances used for the collection of domestic sewage or industrial wastes from its customer(s) as same are located in or along public highways, streets and/or rights-of-way or within easement(s) and/or easement area(s) granted for the purpose of allowing the Township access to privately owned property for the purposes of installation, maintenance and/or repair of sewer mains.

The applicant shall be responsible for installation of sewer main(s) from the edge of the Township right-of-way, or the edge of the easement area described in subsection A(1) above, as the case may be, to the curbline and shall also be responsible for installation of any mains from the property line to the premises. If the Department installs a sewer main between the Township right-of-way or easement area and the property line, the applicant shall pay all costs and expenses associated therewith.

All sewer mains shall be at least four (4) feet below surface or finished grade and shall be separated from the water and other service pipes by at least ten (10) feet.

The applicant shall be responsible for providing the Department notice, in accordance with § 221-4.4, prior to the commencement of any work contemplated by this section.

Sewer laterals.

As used in this chapter, the term "sewer lateral," "sewer laterals," "lateral" or "laterals" shall mean the sewer service line(s) owned by the customer and extending from the dwelling or establishment to the edge of the Township right-of-way and/or the edge of the easement area described in subsection A(1) above, as the case may be.

The applicant shall be responsible for installation of sewer laterals from the sewer main to the curbline and shall also be responsible for installation of the lateral from the property line to the premises. If the Department installs the lateral from the main to the property line, the applicant shall pay all costs and expenses associated therewith.

All sewer laterals shall be at least two (2) feet below surface or finished grade to ensure against freezing. Said sewer laterals shall be separated from the water and other service pipes by at least two (2) feet.

The applicant shall be responsible for providing the Department notice, in accordance with § 221-4.4, prior to the commencement of any work contemplated by this section.

All costs chargeable to the applicant in accordance with the work to be undertaken pursuant to this section shall be payable and/or paid current prior to issuance of a sewer permit. The Township of Winslow, Winslow Township Fire District No. 1 and its associated fire companies, and Winslow Emergency Services Foundation, Inc. are hereby exempted from payment of a sewer connection fee.

§ 221-4.3 Maintenance and repairs.

[Added 4-23-13 by Ord. No. O-2013-007]

The Township shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of sewer mains and/or laterals only in the following circumstances:

If the sewer main and/or lateral has been installed within the Township's right-of-way, the Township shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of only that portion of the main and/or lateral which is located within the Township's right-of-way; and

If the sewer main and/or lateral has been installed within an easement area as described in § 221-4.2A(1) above, the Township shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of only that portion of the main and/or lateral which is located within the easement area or up to ten (10) feet from the center line of said main or lateral, whichever is the shorter distance.

The property owner, not the Township, shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of sewer mains and/or laterals which are located on the owner's property and which are not located within, or are located outside of, the areas described in § 221-4.3A above. Specifically, the property owner shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of sewer mains and/or laterals (i) at the point where said lines are connected to the structure on the property and (ii) from said connection to the edge of the right-of-way area and/or easement area referenced in subsection A(2) above, whichever applies. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the DMU that any necessary maintenance and/or repair of any sewer main and/or lateral is located in an area described in § 221-4.3A above before the Township accepts responsibility for the repair and/or maintenance of same as described in said section.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall be construed to impose any obligation on the Township, and the Township shall not be responsible for, maintenance or repair of any sewer mains or laterals which are constructed or located on any property that is collectively owned and/or managed by a homeowner's association, community association, condominium association, or other similar association, corporation or group which is generally responsible for the maintenance and repair of common property of a community or association, regardless of the location of said mains and/or laterals on or within the association's property.

For purposes of this section, the term "maintenance and repair" does not refer to or include blockages which occur within the sewer mains and/or laterals. Any and all blockages that occur within the sewer mains and/or laterals at any point between the connection at the structure and the main and/or lateral shall be the sole responsibility of the property owner regardless of where the blockage ultimately is determined to be located.

§ 221-4.4 Notice; inspections.

[Added 4-23-13 by Ord. No. O-2013-007]

The Township, by and through the Department or its other designee, shall be entitled to inspect and approve all work performed in accordance with this chapter, whether by an applicant, property owner or property owner's contractor or other agent, as follows:

Prior to installation of a new sewer main or lateral in accordance with this chapter, the applicant shall provide the Department written notice at least two (2) days before any inspection is required and shall state the exact time when the trench will be opened and ready for inspection. In cases where the inspection cannot be made at the time specified in the notice and, in consequence, the Department agent is required to make two (2) or more trips for the purpose of making the inspection, the extra expense caused by the additional trips shall be paid by the property owner.

Prior to the commencement of any maintenance or repair work by a property owner in accordance with this chapter, the property owner shall be responsible for providing the Department written notice of the name and telephone number of the contractor or other agent engaged by the property owner to do such maintenance or repair work pursuant to § 221-4.3B, C or D.

The applicant, property owner or property owner's contractor or other agent, as the case may be, shall not backfill any trench until the work has been inspected and approved by the Department.

Upon inspection in accordance with the above, any work not acceptable to the Department shall be immediately removed and replaced by work which is acceptable to the Department.

§ 221-4.5 Emergencies; failure to repair; costs charged as lien against property.

[Added 4-23-13 by Ord. No. O-2013-007]

In the event of an emergency or if the property owner fails and/or refuses to undertake maintenance or repairs as required by § 221-4.3B, C or D, the Department shall have the right to access the property and make any and all repairs to the sewer main(s) and/or lateral(s) which are necessary to maintain continuous and uninterrupted flow within the sewer system and/or enable the Department to continue to collect sewage flow for the benefit of all other users of the sewer system and the system as a whole.

Any and all costs incurred by the Township pursuant to this chapter, other than those which are incurred pursuant to § 221-4.3A, shall forthwith become a lien upon the property on which the repaired sewer main(s) and/or lateral(s) are located and shall be added to and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such land. Any lien imposed in accordance with this chapter shall bear interest at the same rate as all other taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer and in the same manner as other taxes.

§ 221-5 Connection charges; invalidation of connection permit.

[Amended 3-27-2001 by Ord. No. O-07-2001]

Schedule of connection charges.

[Amended 3-22-89 by Ord. No. O-9-89]

A connection charge shall be imposed for each sewer connection per domestic consumer unit or equivalent domestic consumer unit, at the charge of three thousand nine hundred seventy-five dollars ($3,975) per domestic consumer unit or equivalent domestic consumer unit, in accordance with Schedule A, except when otherwise noted:

[Amended 2-28-95 by Ord. No. O-1-95; 3-27-08 by Ord. No. O-15-08; 2-23-10 by Ord. No. O-2010-003; 2-22-11 by Ord. No. O-2011-003; 3-27-12 by Ord. No. O-12-010; 3-26-13 by Ord. No. O-2013-005; 6-10-14 by Ord. No. O-2014-013; 3-10-15 by Ord. No. O-2015-005; 3-8-16 by Ord. No. O-2016-003; 3-14-17 by Ord. No. O-2017-007; 3-27-18 by Ord. No. O-2018-008; 3-12-2019 by Ord. No. O-2019-003; 2-25-2020 by Ord. No. O-2020-001; 2-23-2021 by Ord. No. O-2021-003; 2-22-2022 by Ord. No. O-2022-003; 3-14-2023 by Ord. No. O-2023-008]

Schedule A
Type of Structure	Domestic Consumer Units
Single-family dwelling	1
Private dwelling with rented rooms or	1
Boardinghouse:
Each room available for rent	1/2
Hotel or motel, per living unit	1/2
Rental or condominium apartments, per living unit	1
Townhouse, per living unit	1
Townhouse with ancillary apartment [Added 5-27-81 by Ord. No. 0-13-81]	1 1/2
Single-family home with place of	1
Each place of business having separate water fixtures	1/2
Apartment	1
Mobile home	1/2

Schedule A
Type of Structure	Equivalent Domestic Consumer Units
Senior citizen apartment complex, per apartment [Added 12-18-85 by Ord. No. 0-32-85]	1/2
School, per each 30 pupils and faculty	1
Church	1
Public building	2
Clubs, societies, service organizations	1
Clubs, societies, service organizations with bar and/or dining facilities	3
Service station without repair or maintenance facilities	2
Service station with repair or maintenance facilities	2
Commercial garage with water fixtures	1
Takeout restaurant without seating Facilities	2
Banquet hall, catering establishment with seating facilities:
1 to 150 seating capacity	3
Each additional 50 seating capacity or segment thereof	1
Laundromat or self-service laundry, per each washer	.40
Soda fountain and/or luncheonette:
1 to 25 seating capacity	1
Each additional 20 seats or segment Thereof	1
Supermarket	3
Plus add for each 3,000 square feet	1
Retail and general commercial business:
Per first 2,500 square feet of gross floor area	1
Per each additional 3,000 square feet of gross floor area or segment thereof	1
Office building, per each 3,000 square feet of gross floor area or segment thereof	1
Nursing home, per living unit	1
Warehouse, per each 5,000 square feet of gross floor area or segment thereof	1
Industrial or manufacturing plant without industrial waste, per each 3,000 square feet of gross area or per each 5 employees, whichever is greater	.42
Diner, tavern, restaurant without separate banquet room or facilities:
1 to 50 seating capacity	2
Each additional 25 seating capacity	1
Diner, tavern, restaurant with separate banquet room or facilities:
Banquet seating shall be computed at rate of 1 unit per each 50 seating.

Affordable housing projects. Sewer connection fees to public housing authorities and nonprofit organizations building affordable housing projects that consist of new connections to the system are to be computed by providing a fifty percent (50%) reduction in the connection fee established in the Township duly adopted Rate Schedule.

[Added 11-18-08 by Ord. No. 0-40-08]

Sewer connection fees to public housing authorities and nonprofit organizations building affordable housing projects that consist of replacement units for demolished or refurbished units, and for which a connection fee was previously paid, are to be computed by charging the lesser of a) the reduced rate of fifty percent (50%) of the connection fee established in the Rate Schedule, or b) the connection fee established in the Rate Schedule, minus a credit in the amount of a connection fee previously paid for the housing units being replaced, provided the public housing authority and nonprofit organization can establish the connection fee previously paid. If the amount of the previous connection fee cannot be established, the reduced rate of fifty percent (50%) of the connection fee established in the Rate Schedule shall apply.

In the event that a business or structure is not described in the schedule, the Township shall determine the minimum equivalent domestic consumer units.

Multiple use of an individual structure or group of structures shall be classified by the Township to include all uses.

In the event that a business or structure is described in the schedule by general classification, but the particular nature of said business or structure would result in an inequitable connection charge if the schedule were used, the Township, in its discretion, may determine that a higher or lower connection charge, as the case may be, shall be charged.

Optional connection fee payment plan. The optional connection fee payment plan shall only apply to residential property uses and the following nonprofit organizations identified as properties utilized for an active church, fire company or ambulance squad. The residential use shall not apply to apartment units unless the apartment is located in a single-family residential dwelling. This agreement shall provide for a time payment for a period of thirty (30) months from the date when service was first noticed as available to the applicant and provide for equal quarterly payments until paid in full. Interest at six percent (6%) per annum on the balance due shall be added to each quarterly payment. Payment plans becoming delinquent shall automatically terminate with the entire balance becoming immediately due and payable. In addition, a lien shall be placed on the property pursuant to applicable statutes for the balance due until paid in full.

[Amended 2-24-04 by Ord. No. 0-4-04; 10-26-04 by Ord. No. 0-29-04]

Timely connection. In the event an applicant does not connect to the sewer connection system within the time provided by the Township, a payment plan shall not be provided, or, in the event a payment plan has been provided, it shall be cause for automatic rescission.

§ 221-5.1 Reacquisition of sewer connection permits by Township.

[Added 12-19-06 by Ord. No. O-32-06]

Any sewer connection permit that is issued but has not resulted in connection to the Township sewer system within three (3) years may be subject to reacquisition by the Township in the absence of a good showing that a sewer connection is eminent. The reacquisition price paid by the Township shall be the same amount tendered by the party in possession of the sewer connection permit at the time of purchase without interest.

§ 221-6 Sewer service charges.

The sewer service charge per quarter shall be as follows for each domestic consumer unit: one hundred two dollars ($102.). For senior citizens, which are defined as individuals age sixty-five (65) or older, who receive include during the calendar year which shall include income of the senior citizen's spouse/civil union partner which does not exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.), (excluding Social Security benefits, federal government retirement/disability pension, including federal railroad retirement benefits and state, county, municipal government and political subdivisions and agencies retirement/disability pensions) and totally disabled persons, the flat rate shall be fifty dollars (50.) per quarter. Income of the senior citizen's family members other than spouse/civil union partner shall not be included as annual income. Income means all income received from whatever source derived, including, but not limited to, salaries, wages, bonuses, commissions, tips and other compensation before payroll deductions, all dividends, interest, realized capital gains, royalties, income from rents and business income, and in their entirety, pension, annuity, and retirement benefits not excluded above. Realized capital gains, except for the capital gain from the sale or exchange of real property owned and used by the senior citizen as their principal residence, dividends, interest, pensions, annuities, and retirement benefits must be included in full without deduction even though they may be wholly or partially exempt for Federal Income Tax purposes. In computing the quarterly service charge for each structure, the number of domestic consumer units shall be determined in accordance with Schedule A of Section 221-5.

[Amended 4-24-91 by Ord. No. O-10-91; 3-24-98 by Ord. No. O-6-98; 7-10-07 by Ord. No. O-238-07; 3-22-11 by Ord. No. O-2011-007; 7-19-11 by Ord. No. O-2011-020; 5-28-13 by Ord. No. O-2013-013; 12-18-18 by Ord. No. O-2018-026]

Bills shall be payable as they are rendered on a quarterly basis, in advance.

All charges for services not specifying a due date shall be due and payable when presented.

A penalty of one percent (1%) per month or fraction thereof will be attached to all bills for charges not paid by the date on which said bill is due and payable. All bills shall be payable to the sewer and water utility at the offices of the Department.

In special cases not contemplated in the schedule of rates or not clearly defined therein, the Township of Winslow is hereby authorized to establish, by resolution, special rates as the Township Committee may deem necessary to keep and maintain the sewer and water utility on a self-liquidating basis.

The initial sewer connection shall be billed pro rata from the date the connection is made. However, if the connection is within one (1) month of the next due date, the account will be billed the pro rata amount of the next quarter.

[Added 3-26-86 by Ord. No. 0-5-86]

§ 221-6.1 Connections and use, generally.

[Added 11-15-94 by Ord. No. 0-24-94]

Any and all new sewers and connections to the system shall be properly designed and constructed in accordance with and pursuant to rules and regulations, which rules and regulations shall be filed in the office of the Township Clerk.

Any and all wastewater introduced into the treatment works shall not contain toxic or other pollutants in an amount or concentration that endangers public safety, threatens physical integrity of the treatment works, or violates a permit. Nothing shall preclude the selection of the most cost-effective alternative for wastewater treatment and sludge disposal.

Connections from any and all inflow sources, including but not limited to stormwater systems, roof drains, sump pumps, etc., into the sanitary sewer portion of the sewer system are prohibited.

The owner of a structure with below-grade plumbing fixtures shall employ the use of a backwater valve, check valve or other backflow prevention device to prevent backup of raw effluent as indicated herein:

[Added 4-24-12 by Ord. No. 0-2012-013]

Fixtures and/or drain inlets subject to backflow and overflow from blocked or restricted public sewers shall be protected by a backwater valve;

Backwater valves shall be installed in drainage piping that receives flow only from fixtures and/or drains that are subject to backflow from public sewers;

Other portions of the drainage system not subject to such backflow shall not drain through a backwater valve;