Township of Montclair, NJ Facilities; Use; Rates and Charges

The owner of any building or premises in the Township shall be liable for the payment of the rate, charge, price or rent as fixed in this article for any water service, installations, connections, appliances or parts and renewals thereof furnished or made by the Township or any department thereof in or upon such building or premises, and the interest and penalties charged. Such rate, charge, price or rent so taxed and the other costs, expenses, interest and penalties aforesaid remaining unpaid for six months shall be a lien upon said building and premises until the same shall be paid and satisfied.

§ 341-2 Charges for installations, abandonments and fire lines.

[Amended 3-3-1981 by Ord. No. 81-6; 11-9-1982 by Ord. No. 82-44; 12-28-1993 by Ord. No. 93-51]

The following charges shall be made for every installation of water service, relocation of existing service, abandonment of existing service and setting a new meter:

Charges for services.

Nominal Size (inches)	New Service or Relocating Existing Service Main to Curb	Abandoning Existing Service	Additional Cost per Foot for New Services in Excess of 75 Feet
5/8		$195
3/4	$450	195	$4.50
1	490	195	5.55
1 1/2	697	195	7.05
2	817	195	8.10
Over 2	At cost	At cost	At cost

Standby charges for fire-protection purposes shall be as follows:

[Amended 3-18-2003 by Ord. No. 03-18; 12-9-2014 by Ord. No. O-14-049]

(1)

From January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015:

	Size (inches)	Charge per Quarter
	1 1/2	$27.30
	2	$34.48
	3	$81.90
	4	$120.90
	6	$149.24
	8	$257.40

(2)

From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016:

	Size (inches)	Charge per Quarter
	1 1/2	$31.40
	2	$39.65
	3	$94.19
	4	$139.04
	6	$171.63
	8	$296.01

(3)

From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017:

	Size (inches)	Charge per Quarter
	1 1/2	$32.96
	2	$41.63
	3	$98.89
	4	$145.99
	6	$180.21
	8	$310.81

§ 341-3 Installations outside Township.

In the case of all installations of water service to buildings and premises outside the corporate limits of the Township, the owner of such buildings and premises shall pay in advance such of the charges set forth in § 341-2 hereof as may be appropriate, shall deposit with the Township Water Bureau the sum of $10 as a guaranty of the payment of any charges for service and shall be required to pay any additional expenses incurred by the Township arising from charges made by the municipality or county in which said building or premises is situated. The owner shall also secure at his or her own cost and expense any and all municipal and county consents and approvals that may be required for the installation of such water service.

§ 341-4 Charges for lost, stolen or damaged equipment.

Any meters or remote registers and related equipment lost, stolen or damaged shall be repaired or replaced by the Water Bureau at the cost of the consumer.

Meters that have been damaged by frost will be replaced only on receipt of a deposit of $15 to cover cost of repairs. After repairs, the balance, if any, will be returned.

§ 341-5 Permits required; inspection and approval.

No water service shall be installed from the curb to the building without a permit therefor having first been obtained from the Township Water Bureau. Such service, including the meter and valves at the meter, shall be inspected and approved by a representative of the Township Water Bureau before said water service may be put in use and operation. The charge for such permit, inspection and approval shall be $5, payable in advance.

No temporary repairs may be made on the existing water service or at an existing meter without prior approval and inspection by a representative of the Township Water Bureau. The charge for such approval and inspection shall be $5. All leaking services, except copper and cast and/or ductile iron, shall be re-layed using copper. Repairs will be allowed on copper, cast-iron and ductile iron services only.

No service line shall be smaller than 3/4 inch, except that the Water Bureau may, if it deems necessary, require a larger size than 3/4 inch. All service lines up to and including two inches shall be of Type K copper tubing with a minimum number of joints. All buried connections shall be either flared or compression type, and in no instance shall sweat joints be allowed underground. All services larger than two inches shall be of cement-lined cast-iron or ductile iron pipe, installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.

A gate valve shall be provided on each side of the meter. The valves shall be the same size as the service. Gate valves 3/4 inch through two inches, inclusive, shall be brass and/or bronze, excluding the hand wheel. Gate valves four inches and larger shall be flanged body, double disk, rising-stem type with cast-iron bodies and bronze disks, seats, stem and gearing. All valves shall be Class 150 minimum.

Any conversion from a single-meter installation to a multiple-meter setting shall require that a separate service be installed from the curb to the building for each additional meter.

The consumer is responsible for the service from the shutoff valve at the street to the structure, except for the meter.

The valves and piping adjacent to the meter shall be kept in good order by the consumer. The Bureau may require the consumer to repair and/or replace valves and/or piping so that meters can be changed. Such notice shall be in writing and shall provide a period of 90 days for compliance.

§ 341-6 Relocation of service.

When an existing water service is relocated, it shall be disconnected at the water main. If more than one street opening is required, charges shall be made for both the relocation and abandonment in accordance with the schedule of charges in § 341-2. Otherwise the charge for relocation shall be deemed to include the charge for abandonment.

§ 341-7 Change in size of water service.

Whenever a change is made in the size of the existing service, a charge shall be made as in the case of the installation of a new service in accordance with the schedule of charges set forth in § 341-2.

§ 341-8 Temporary service during building construction.

[Amended 12-28-1993 by Ord. No. 93-51]

Whenever during the course of construction of a building temporary water service is desired, the person desiring such temporary water service shall pay a fee of $100 for the installation or connection of such temporary water service and shall, at the same time, deposit the sum of $100 to cover the water used during the period of construction. Upon the termination of such temporary water service, said deposit of $100, less the charge for the water used and less the cost of repairing any damage to the meter or hydrant used with the meter, shall be refunded. A fee of $50 will be charged for physical cross connections (new installations) in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:10-10.6.

§ 341-9 Water rates.

[Added 12-18-2007 by Ord. No. 07-53[1]; amended 1-6-2009 by Ord. No. 08-55[2]; 12-8-2009 by Ord. No. O-068-09; 12-28-2010 by Ord. No. O-10-075[3]; 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. O-14-043]

Effective January 1, 2015, the rates for water purchased from the Township by consumers shall be as follows:

(1)

Service line of one inch.

(a)

For consumers whose water service line is one inch or smaller and includes 1,000 cubic feet of water, the quarterly minimum charge will be as follows:

[1]

Calendar year 2015: $32.

[2]

Calendar year 2016: $33.

[3]

Calendar year 2017: $34.

(b)

Each additional unit of 100 cubic feet of water in excess of 1,000 cubic feet up to 3,300 cubic feet will be charged as follows:

	Nonpeak	Peak
2015	$3.20	$3.52
2016	$3.30	$3.80
2017	$3.40	$4.08

(c)

Each additional unit of 100 cubic feet of water in excess of 3,300 cubic feet will be charged as follows:

	Nonpeak	Peak
2015	$3.52	$3.87
2016	$3.63	$4.17
2017	$3.74	$4.49

(2)

Service line greater than one inch.

(a)

For consumers whose water service line is larger than one inch, each unit of 100 cubic feet of water will be charged as follows:

	Nonpeak	Peak
2015	$3.52	$3.87
2016	$3.63	$4.17
2017	$3.74	$4.49

(b)

Each additional unit of 100 cubic feet of water in a calendar month in excess of an average of 13,369 cubic feet per day for that month will be charged as follows:

	Nonpeak	Peak
2015	$3.81	$4.19
2016	$3.93	$4.52
2017	$4.05	$4.86

Definitions.

(1)

As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

NONPEAK

Water usage during the months of January, February, March, October, November, and December.

PEAK

Water usage during the months of April, May, June, July, August, and September.

(2)

All references to years, e.g., 2015, are to calendar years.

Senior citizens who qualify for a tax exemption pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-8.40 et seq. and senior citizens who are not property owners but whose water consumption is separately metered to their living unit will be entitled to senior citizen rates pursuant to this article, which in effect is a discount of 25% from the rates set forth in Subsection A.

Any water purchased or billed on or after January 1, 2015, shall be at the above rates.

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former § 341-9, Water rates, as amended, and former § 341-9.1, Water rates effective January 1, 2007, added 4-11-2006 by Ord. No. 06-13, which immediately followed this § 341-9.

[2]

Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 1-1-2009.

[3]

Editor’s Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 1-1-2011.

§ 341-9.1 Infrastructure charge.

[Added 5-4-2021 by Ord. No. O-21-10]

Effective July 1, 2021, all consumers receiving water service from the Township shall pay, in addition to any other applicable charges, an infrastructure charge as follows:

Meter size (inches)	Infrastructure charge per quarter
5/8 x 3/4	$25
3/4	$37.50
1	$62.25
1.5	$124.50
2	$199.20
3	$434.26
4	$868.51
6	$1,737.02
8	$2,483.94
10	$4,967

§ 341-10 Delinquent water accounts.

If any account for water purchased remains unpaid for the prior calendar year, then at any time after April 30 of the following year, the water service may be forthwith discontinued; provided, however, that 30 days prior to the discontinuance of such service a written notice shall be sent to the user at his or her address. In cases where the user is a tenant, a duplicate of such notice shall be sent to the owner of the property at his or her address as shown on the current records in the office of the Collector of Taxes and Water Rents. Such notice shall notify such user and/or owner of the delinquency and of the proposed discontinuance of the water service in the event the outstanding account is not paid within 30 days after delivery of said notice and that the delinquent amount shall become a lien on the property as provided by law.

[Amended 12-27-2005 by Ord. No. 05-70]

Whenever it shall be necessary to discontinue (shut off) water service as herein provided, a fee of $20 shall be charged to the user prior to the turning back on of the water service. Water service will only be turned on after the fee of $20 has been paid and only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be no shutoffs performed Friday through Sunday.

The Collector of Taxes and Water Rents shall administer the provisions of this section.

§ 341-10.1 Water connection fees.

[Added 12-29-2009 by Ord. No. O-073-09]

Fee established. A connection fee shall be payable to the Township of Montclair for all buildings, structures or premises which are hereafter connected to the Township water supply and distribution system. The purpose of the connection fee is to pay the cost of the physical connection and a fair contribution toward the capital cost of the Township's water system.

Connection fee schedule. Commencing January 1, 2015:

[Amended 12-9-2014 by Ord. No. O-14-050]

(1)

The amount of the connection fee for any building, structure or premises shall be determined in accordance with the following schedule:

	Classification Connection	Fee
	Existing single-family dwellings served by an individual private well or by an individual septic system	$2,000
	New single-family dwellings	$2,000
	New single-family dwellings, developer-installed connections	$1,467
	Multifamily dwellings, including apartments, townhouses, condominiums, cluster homes and duplexes	$1,267 (per dwelling unit)
	Low-income dwelling units and facilities providing permanent housing for elderly or handicapped persons and operated by charitable, nonprofit organizations which are tax exempt under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code	$667 (per dwelling unit)
	Nursing homes and dormitories	$667 (per bed)
	Hospitals	$1,667 (per bed)
	Motels and hotels	$667 (per room)

(2)

Connection fees for all other business, industrial and public buildings are based on meter size as follows:

	Meter Size (inches)	Connection Fee
	5/8	$1,900
	1	$7,694
	1 1/2	$15,350
	2	$30,469
	3	$60,950
	4	$106,181
	6	$243,281
	8	$570,206
	10	$914,281
	Special events	The connection fee for a permanent connection to be used at special events for no more than 12 days per calendar year shall be 10% of the connection fee listed in this schedule.

Payment. All connection fees shall be due and payable to the Township at such times as a permit is issued for connection to the Township's water supply and distribution system, except that any premises or building for which a water supply permit has been issued prior to the effective date of this article shall be exempt from payment of the connection fees set forth in this section.