[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
Ord. No. 97-11, adopted 6-25-1997, which required connection to the
public water system.
The caption of this article shall be "Connecting to the Township
Water System." If your property is located within 150 feet of the
Municipal water main, mandatory connection to the municipal water
system is required as per Township Ordinance as follows: The measurement
of the 150 feet distance shall be from any part of the property line
which would allow for the connection to the Township's water
line.
A.
The owner of every house, building or structure and the owner of
every house, building or structure hereafter to be constructed, which
may be occupied or used by human beings, located on a street along
the line of a water main, now or hereafter constructed in the Township
where the property line of the lot contains such house, building or
structure within 150 feet of a public water distribution main, shall
within 120 days after the date on which water service is made available
to such house, building or structure, cause such house, building or
structure to be connected to the Township Public Water System under
and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Township and on file
in the office of the Township Clerk. The aforesaid requirements are
of a continuing nature.
B.
All presently existing houses, buildings or structures, which may
be occupied or used by human beings located on a street along the
line of a water main where such house, building or structure is within
150 feet of a water main, shall not be required to connect to the
Township Public Water System unless the water well fails and is required
to be replaced or for a public health/safety reason requiring connection
to the Township Public Water System.
C.
If a presently existing property wants to connect into the Township
Public Water System and the well has not failed then, after said connection,
the utilization of any private well, pump or other means for the furnishing
of water to the connected premises shall be disconnected, except that
such private water supply is permitted for purposes of irrigation,
asthetics or other acceptable non-potable use, so long as:
(1)
The well must be a separate water system, not connected in any manner
to the public water supply;
(2)
The well water must not contain any primary health contaminant as
defined by the rules and regulations of the New Jersey DEP and/or
any county or Township regulations, nor located in any identified
groundwater impact area or area of contamination by the NJDEPE or
County Health Department. If at any time this condition changes, the
well must be immediately disconnected and properly sealed;
(3)
A letter must be filed with the Township Municipal Utilities Department
indicating that the private well shall be utilized for the aforesaid
purposes, and setting forth the exact location and description of
the private well.
(4)
The aforesaid requirements are of a continuing nature.
D.
Notice of the availability of water service shall be given by the
Waterford Township Clerk's Office. The notice shall be served
upon the owners of said properties personally or by leaving the same
at their usual place of abode with a member of the family over the
age of 18 years, or, if such mode of service cannot be effected, then
by mailing a copy of said notice to said owner or owners by certified
mail addressed to said owner or owners at said property or properties
or at the property owners usual place of abode.
E.
To apply for a water connection permit the owner of the property
must come to the Township Clerk's Office at the Township Municipal
Building at 2131 Auburn Avenue, Atco, New Jersey and pay the presently
assessed fee, a meter inspection fee, and an application permit fee
per equivalent domestic consumer unit (EDU).
(1)
An application must be obtained through the Township Clerk's
Office. After completing the application for water connection and
payment of the required fee, the yellow and pink copies and the payment
receipt must be taken to the Waterford Township Public Works Department
to receive the permit. When you receive the permit, your registered
plumber may begin the connection to the Township water main.
(2)
Quarterly water billing will begin once connection is completed by
your plumber and the Township's Plumbing Inspector and the Public
Works Department Inspector approve the connection and notice is provided
to the Township Billing Department.
(3)
Residents are required to keep the area of the remote reader device
accessible from the street and free from any barriers or vegetation,
that impair the reading of your remote reader.
F.
Groundwater impact area.
(1)
Alternative payment of connection charge. In any section of the municipality
where private water supply wells have been found to be contaminated,
a groundwater impact area shall be established by either the New Jersey
DEP or the County Health Department or the Governing Body of the Township.
(2)
The groundwater impact report shall delineate the contaminated private
well(s) and include an estimate of the private water supply well(s)
that may be contaminated through the groundwater movement within a
five-year period. Any house, building or structure within the groundwater
impact area or within 150 feet of any water distribution mains which
were constructed to service the groundwater impact area and are required
to connect in accordance with the terms of this article, shall be
allowed to pay the required connection fee in quarterly payments over
a one-year period from the date of mandatory connection, subject to
signing a connection fee payment agreement.
G.
Failure of property owner to connect to water.
(1)
In the event a property owner fails to connect into the Township
Water System after receiving written notice from the Township pursuant
to this chapter of the Waterford Township Code, the following procedure
shall be implemented:
(2)
A final notice shall be mailed to the property owner advising of
the failure to comply with connecting into the Township Water System
in accordance with the previous notice and that the property owner
must complete this connection within 30 days from the date of the
final notice. If the property owner fails to comply and make the connection
into the Water System as required, the Township shall assess the duly
promulgated connection fee then in effect to the property owner and
submit a bill to the property owner for payment. The Township shall
also commence billing the minimal water service charge to the property
owner from the date on which the connection was to be made to the
Township's Water System, treating the property as if the connection
had been made. Any unpaid connection fee or water bill shall become
a lien on the property in accordance with applicable legal procedure.
H.
Property connecting to Township Water System but user charges not
assessed.
(1)
In the event a property is connected into the Township Water System
in accordance with Township requirements, but user charges have not
been assessed to the property for use of the system, the following
procedure shall be implemented:
(a)
Written notice shall be mailed to the property owner stating
that the owner has received the benefit of using the Water System
without being billed for said service. A bill for that use from the
date of connection shall be enclosed identifying the manner of calculation.
The property owner shall be provided the option to either pay the
bill in full within 30 days, or enter into an installment payment
agreement with the Township to pay the past due bill in four equal
quarterly installments, interest free, in the agreement format approved
by the Township. If the bill remains unpaid or the property owner
fails to enter into the authorized installment payment agreement,
the unpaid bill shall then become a lien against the property in accordance
with applicable legal procedure.
I.
Overpayments. All overpayments, of water service charges or connection
fees shall be applied as a credit against future Water System bills
unless the Township Governing Body in exercising its discretion determines
otherwise.
J.
Pinelands. Mandatory connections are not applicable to Pinelands
zoning designations restricting connection to the Public Water System
unless in an area already serviced by the Township Public Water System
or through other applicable exceptions.
