The Township of Barnegat is hereby establishing certain water
use rules and regulations and methods for user charges within the
Township of Barnegat, County of Ocean, State of New Jersey as provided
and authorized by Title 40 of the New Jersey Statutes.
The purpose of this article is to establish water use rules
and regulations and to establish a system of water user charges for
those to be serviced by the Barnegat Township municipal water system
which is being purchased from the Barnegat Water Company, a private
utility. The rules and regulations shall not only govern who shall
connect and under what circumstances they shall connect to the water
system but also provide a system of rules and regulations in accordance
with the regulations and requirements. This article shall further
establish a water/sewer utility for the Township of Barnegat which
presently has a sewer utility.
[Amended 3-21-94 by Ord. No. 1194-7; 8-2-16 by Ord. No. 2016-21]
A. All residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental
users shall be charged a minimum fee (except as provided by Section
74.14C) based upon the size of the meter and a uniform excess usage
charge based upon gallons used. The minimum charges for each water
user shall be based upon the size of the meter as follows:
[Amended 12-20-93 by Ord. No. 1993-46; 7-26-99 by Ord. No. 1999-22; 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15; 8-2-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-21; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-29; 12-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22; 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-34]
(1) Five eights of an inch or 3/4 of an inch: A minimum quarterly charge
of $54.
(2) One inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $94.
(3) One and one-half inch meter: A minimum quarterly Charge of $137.
(4) Two inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $179.
(5) Three inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $241.
(6) Four inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $298.
B. Excess water user charges. All users shall be charged a uniform excess gallon charge in addition to the minimum billing for all water usage which exceeds 15,000 gallons per quarter. The excess charges shall be as set forth in Schedule B which is
included as an attachment to this chapter.
[Amended 12-20-93 by Ord. No. 1993-46; 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15; 8-2-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-21; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No.
2016-29; 12-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22; 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-34]
C. Reduced rates for senior citizens and the permanently and totally
Disabled. To implement for billing period of January, February, March
and effective April 1, 2024, all residential users who meet the criteria
established in N.J.S.A. 40A:31-10.1 shall be charged a reduced minimum
fee based upon the size of the meter. The minimum charge for each
qualified residential user shall be based upon the size of the meter
as follows:
[Amended 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No.
2016-29; 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-34]
(1) Five eights of an inch or 3/4 of an inch: A Minimum quarterly charge
of $46.
(2) One inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $86.
(3) One and one-half inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $129.
(4) Two inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $171.
(5) Three inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $171.
(6) Four inch meter: A minimum quarterly charge of $171.
D. Late charges. All water billing shall be done quarterly and shall
be due and payable on January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15
of each year. Delinquency charges shall commence at the expiration
of a ten-day grace period from the due date and shall be calculated
on the same basis as delinquent real estate property taxes.
[Added 3-18-85 by Ord. No. 1985-9]
E. Turn-on and Turn off charges; All customers shall be required to pay a fee to turn-on and turn-off a water service as set forth in
Schedule A, which is
included as an attachment to this chapter.
[Added 3-18-85 by Ord. No. 1985-9; amended 8-5-96 by Ord. No. 1996-32; 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-29; 12-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22; 5-2-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12; 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-34]
F. Estimated charges. In the event the Township cannot obtain a water
reading from excess water usage, an estimated bill may be sent to
the water customer by the Township.
[Added 3-18-85 by Ord. No. 1985-9]
G. Fire hydrant charges. There is hereby established a fee of $161 plus
any additional parts per annum for each fire hydrant serviced by the
Barnegat Water/Sewer Utility. The Township-owned fire hydrants shall
be exempt from within fire hydrant charges.
[Added 4-1-85 by Ord. No. 1985-10; amended 3-7-88 by Ord. No. 1988-8; 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-29; 12-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22]
H. Minimum charges. The minimum charges for water usage and the base
rate for sewer charges shall be due and payable from the customers
of the water/sewer utility whether or not said customer is actually
using the utility service. This requirement is based upon the fact
that the utility must continually operate and size its facilities
to accommodate any and all customers whether or not their systems
are actually in use. However, in the event that a dwelling or structure
is destroyed and its occupation is condemned, then the customer shall
apply to the utility for discontinuation of its water and/or sewer
charges. Additionally, if a customer has totally removed all water
and sewer facilities from a dwelling or structure, said application
may be made and upon inspection similar relief may be granted.
[Added 6-3-85 by Ord. No. 1985-18]
I. Commencement of billing. In the event that a new customer is added
to the "Water/Sewer Utility" billing shall commence from the date
that the certificate of occupancy is issued for the structure or dwelling.
If this occurs during the quarterly billing period, then said quarterly
billing shall be prorated.
[Added 5-16-88 by Ord. No. 1988-19]
There is hereby created for the Township of Barnegat a Water/Sewer
utility commencing January 1, 1985, and to replace the present sewer
utility. The purpose of this is to combine the present sewer utility
with the new water/sewer utility company being purchased by the Township
of Barnegat.
[Amended 8-16-10 by Ord. No. 2010-19; 9-18-12 by Ord. No. 2012-24; 12-14-15 by Ord. No. 2015-15;
8-2-16 by Ord. No. 2016-21; 10-4-16
by Ord. No. 2016-24; 12-6-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-29; 11-13-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-37]
A. Fees for connection to the Barnegat Township water distribution system shall be $1,492 per unit for connection. Where the unit is an affordable housing unit, the fee for connection shall be 50% of the aforementioned connection fee. The connection fee schedule as set forth in
Schedule A, which may be found at the end of this chapter. In the case of a vacant lot, if the owner did not request and pay for a lateral at the time of main line construction, the lot owner shall be responsible for the cost of the physical connection to the water main as well as the connection fee, and water tap inspection as set forth in
Schedule A, which is
included as an attachment to this chapter.
[Amended 12-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22; 5-2-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12; 12-5-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-34]
B. Connection fees for the reconnection of a disconnected unit shall
be calculated according to the following schedule:
(1) A credit, applicable to the connection fee to be charged for a reconnection
of a disconnected property that was previously connected to the water
distribution system, shall be given, provided that:
(a)
The property has been connected to the water distribution system
for at least 20 years; and
(b)
Service charges have been paid for the property in at least
one of the last five years.
(2) The credit required under Subsection
B(1) shall be calculated as follows:
(a)
If the reconnection does not require any new physical connection
or does not increase the nature or size of the service or the number
of units, or does not expand the use of the water distribution system,
the credit shall be equal in amount to the new connection fee.
(b)
If the reconnection requires a new physical connection, increases
the nature or size of the service or the number of service units,
or expands the use of the water distribution, the credit shall be
equal in amount to any connection fee previously paid for the property,
and the Township shall charge the difference between the credit and
the connection fee for the new use.
(c)
If no connection fee was ever paid for the property, but all service charges due and owing on the property have been paid for at least 20 years, the credit shall be equal in the amount to a new connection fee; provided, however, that any charges due and owing pursuant to Subsection
B(2)(b) of this section shall be paid.
(3) If no connection fee was ever paid for a disconnected property that
is to be reconnected and which was previously connected to the water
distribution system for at least 20 years, the Township shall charge,
in addition to amount due and owing after application of a credit
pursuant to this section, a connection fee equal to the lesser of:
(a)
20% of the service charges that would have been paid based upon
the usage for the last full year that the property was connected to
the water distribution system for the period from the date of the
disconnection from the water distribution system to the date of the
new connection; or
(4) A credit shall not be allowed under this section for a property that
has been disconnected from the water distribution system for more
than five years.
(5) For a property connected to the water distribution system for less
than 20 years, the Township may charge an additional connection fee
for an addition, alteration, or change in use that materially increases
the level of use and imposes a greater demand on the water distribution
system but does not involve a new physical connection of the property
to the water distribution system.
(6) The connection fee authorized by Subsection
B(5) of this section shall be equal to the amount by which the increased use and demand on the water distribution system exceeds the use and demand that existed prior to such addition, alteration or change in use.
(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude the Township
from charging a new or additional connection fee for any new or additional
connections of a property to the water distribution system, or for
any increase in the size of an existing connection, or for any new
construction or additional service units connected to the water distribution
system that materially increase the level of use or demand on the
water distribution system.
(8) As used in this section, "disconnected property" means a property
that has been physically disconnected from the water distribution
system or a property not physically disconnected but to which service
has been discontinued without payments being made. A "disconnected
property" shall not include a property that has been temporarily disconnected
from the water distribution system or to which service has been discontinued
without payments being made for less than 12 consecutive months and
which is being reconnected as it existed prior to the temporary disconnection
or discontinuance of service.
(9) As used in this section, "materially increases" means any increase
in the number of service units; or any other change which increases
the level of use or demand on the water distribution system by 15%
or more over the highest actual annual use and demand that existed
prior to the ten-year period immediately preceding the addition, alteration
or change in use; provided, however, that, if the property has been
connected to the water distribution system for less than 10 years,
the average level of use and demand shall be calculated based on the
actual period of connection.
[Amended 3-10-14 by Ord. No. 2014-03]
There is hereby adopted for the Township of Barnegat Rules and
Regulations entitled, "Rules and Regulations for the Water Supply
System, Township of Barnegat, Ocean County, New Jersey" dated December,
2013. Said Rules and Regulations are on file in triplicate in the
office of the Township Clerk, 900 West Bay Avenue, Barnegat Township,
New Jersey and are available for inspection during normal business
hours.
[Added 8-5-96 by Ord. No. 1996-32]
Failure to pay billed water usage charges for a period of 60
days beyond the due date may result in the water service furnished
to the delinquent user being shut off from any house, tenement, building
or lot where the same is connected and water shall not again be supplied
until the arrearage with interest and penalties, together with a water
shut-off fee of $40 and a water turn-on fee of $40 shall have been
fully paid. Water shall not be shut off unless a delinquent notice
is forwarded by ordinary mail to the delinquent user at the billing
address at least 20 days before shut-off.
[Added 8-17-98 by Ord. No. 1998-19]
A. Purpose. In order to defray engineering, legal, and administrative
costs in reviewing, processing, inspecting and approving new water
supply facilities, the following fees shall be paid to the Township
by the applicant.
(1)
Preliminary water review fees. The following preliminary water
review fees are hereby established:
Total Number of Units
|
Fee Formula
|
---|
0-30
|
$500 plus $50 per lot
|
31-100
|
$2,000 plus $20 per lot over 30
|
101 plus
|
$3,400 plus $10 per lot over 100
|
(2)
Final water review fee: 2% of estimated cost of construction
based on an estimate prepared by the Water and Sewer Utility Engineer.
(3)
There is hereby established a water inspection construction
fee of 8% of the estimated cost of construction.
B. Development inspection fees.
[Added 8-3-09 by Ord. No. 2009-026]
(1)
The developer must deposit with the Township an inspection fee
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53 an amount not to exceed the greater
of $500 or 5% of the cost of the improvements as estimated by the
Municipal Engineer pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53.4.
(2)
For those developments for which the inspection fees are less
than $10,000, the fee may, at the option of the developer, be paid
in two installments. The initial amount deposited by a developer shall
be 50% of the inspection fees. When the balance on deposit drops to
10% of the inspection fees because the amount deposited by the developer
has been reduced by the amount paid to the Municipal Engineer for
inspection, the developer shall deposit the remaining 50% of the inspection
fees. For those developments for which the inspection fees are then
$10,000 or greater, fees may, at the option of the developer, be paid
in four installments. The initial amount deposited by a developer
shall be 25% of the inspection fees. When the balance on deposit drops
to 10% of the inspection fees because the amount deposited by the
developer has been reduced by the amount paid to the Municipal Engineer
for inspections, the developer shall make additional deposits of 25%
of the inspection fees. The Municipal Engineer shall not perform any
inspection if sufficient funds to pay for those inspections are not
on deposit.
[Added 4-4-05 by Ord. No. 2005-14]
A. The water rules and regulations (§
74-17) of the Township of Barnegat are hereby amended to include the Cross-Connection Control Program. A copy of the Cross-Connection Control Program is on file at the Township Clerk's office and can be reviewed during normal business hours.
B. The Cross-Connection Control Program shall be included in the "Rules
and Regulations of the Water Supply and Distribution System, Township
of Barnegat, prepared by Charles H. Mackie Associates, October, 1984".
Said rules and regulations as amended shall remain on file at the
office of the Township Clerk and are available for inspection during
normal business hours.