Water bills for water consumed shall be rendered to the owner or occupant of premises quarterly.
A. 
In the event that a meter is inaccessible for any reason, the owner or occupant shall be responsible for entering the meter reading upon a form provided by the Water Department or water operations company and for returning the same to the Water Department within five days.
B. 
If the form is not received by the Water Department within five days or if a reading is not phoned to the water operations company, the consumer shall be billed using an estimate based upon the water consumed during a similar quarter of the previous year.
C. 
It is the owner's or occupant's responsibility to ensure that access is granted for actual reading by the Water Department or water operations company at least once per year.
D. 
In the event that the period between actual readings exceeds one year, a penalty of $100 will be assessed, and the consumer will be notified that water service will be terminated until arrangements can be made for access to the water meter. The consumer will be billed for discontinuance and restoration of service if such action becomes necessary.
[Amended 9-19-2006 by Ord. No. 25-06]
A. 
Bills rendered shall be due within 30 days from the billing date.
(1) 
An overdue bill will be assessed a penalty fee with interest, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:4-7, calculated at the rate of 8% per annum on the first $1,500 of the delinquency and 18% per annum on any amount in excess of $1,500, to be calculated from the date the water bill was due and payable until the date that actual payment to the utility collector is made. An additional penalty of 6% per annum shall be assessed upon any amount in excess of $10,000 that remains due and payable as of December 31 of any calendar year.
(2) 
All consumers whose bills are unpaid within 90 days of the original billing shall have their water service terminated. Such service shall be restored only upon payment in full of all water charges, including the prescribed penalty charge.
(3) 
Any unpaid water charges shall be a lien upon the land of the owner after the due date. When unpaid water charges remain in arrears on April 1 in the calendar year following the calendar year when the same becomes due, the Borough Tax Collector shall enforce the lien in accordance with the Tax Sale Law of the State of New Jersey.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 54:5-1 et seq.
B. 
All charges are payable to the Water Department and/or water operations company by mail or in person at the Treasurer's office.
(1) 
No persons are authorized to accept or give a receipt for money due the Water Department except the Borough Treasurer or its duly designated assistants.
(2) 
Personal payments may be deposited, without liability to the Borough, in the Borough’s payment drop box that is located at the Municipal Building 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A. 
Except in the case of the initial installation of water service and meter, no new consumer shall be served with water unless an application is made to the Water Department by the consumer. Such application shall be accompanied by payment of a turn-on fee as set forth in § 244-41G. Consumers changing their places of residence within the Borough shall also be required to execute an application with the Department.
B. 
Water may be shut off by the Department on receipt of a written request by a consumer to the Water Department. A shutoff and turn-on charge as set forth in § 244-41G, however, shall be made for each turning off and each restoration of the service.
C. 
If a house is vacant, no deduction from the minimum charge as set forth in § 244-40 shall be made as long as the curb stop shall remain open.
A. 
The consumer shall promptly report in writing any meter thought to be defective or out of order.
B. 
The Water Department and/or the water operations company will comply with a request to test any meter. Such test shall comply with standards of the American Water Works Association and determine whether the meter is defective.
C. 
Should such test disclose that the meter is not defective or out of order, the Department shall charge the fee set forth in § 244-41. Meters found to register over 3% fast during the course of such test shall be replaced or repaired by the Water Department or water operations company at its expense.
D. 
Water charges for the quarter in which the meter is found to register fast shall be based on the previous quarter and rendered as per § 244-36.
[Amended 4-28-1998 by Ord. No. 5-98].
Fees for consumption, fire service and other services rendered by the Water Department shall be set by resolution of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Florham Park.
[Added 6-12-2025 by Ord. No. 25-21]
Restrictions on outdoor landscape water use apply to all users in Borough of Florham Park at all times regardless of source of supply (e.g., public water supplies, well or groundwater, lakes, streams, or ponds) unless expressly exempt as set forth herein. Such water use shall conform to the following outdoor landscape water use restrictions:
A. 
Lawn watering with a hose or hose-end sprinkler is permitted subject to the following restrictions:
(1) 
Such watering may be done on properties with even number street addresses only on even numbered calendar days, and on properties with odd numbered street addresses only on odd numbered calendar days.
(2) 
Watering may only be done a maximum of three days per week.
(3) 
Watering shall only be conducted between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
(4) 
The watering of any single area shall not exceed 30 minutes per day.
(5) 
No hose or hose-end watering shall be permitted when it is raining.
(6) 
The restrictions regarding the dates and times of watering are not applicable to the watering of flowers and shrubs, provided that the watering is done with a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle.
B. 
Irrigating lawns and landscapes with automatic irrigation systems equipped with a conventional irrigation controller (this includes all systems that do not have a "SMART" controller as referenced in this section):
(1) 
Such watering may be done on properties with even number street addresses only on even numbered calendar days, and on properties with odd numbered street addresses only on odd numbered calendar days.
(2) 
Watering may only be done a maximum of three days per week.
(3) 
Irrigation shall only be conducted between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 a.m.
(4) 
Operation of any irrigation zone equipped with spray (mist) heads shall not exceed 15 minutes per zone. Operation of any irrigation zone equipped with rotary sprinkler heads shall not exceed 50 minutes per zone.
C. 
Irrigation with systems equipped with SMART controller.
(1) 
To qualify for this provision, the SMART controller must have met the minimum requirements of IA-SWAT protocol testing. Lists of climate-based and sensor-based controllers that have successfully completed the protocol testing can be found at http://www.irrigation.org under the "Resources" tab.
(2) 
The property owner must register the SMART controller with the Borough of Florham Park Building Department. The Borough of Florham Park will issue a yard placard which the owner must display signifying that the property is irrigated with a SMART controller.
(3) 
The SMART controller must be programmed by an EPA WaterSense Partner who holds a New Jersey Landscape Irrigation Contractor Certificate pursuant to NJSA 45:5AA-3.
(a) 
The SMART controller must be programmed to irrigate between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 am;
(b) 
Proper sprinkler head data and accurate soil/plant/irrigation information must be entered;
(c) 
The SMART controller programming data shall be posted at the controller;
(d) 
The WaterSense Partner must make a minimum of two site visits after the initial programming to adjust and fine tune the irrigation schedule.
D. 
Irrigation systems programmed and monitored by irrigation manager.
(1) 
The property owner must designate a qualified person who will be the irrigation manager and register that person with the Borough of Florham Park with defining qualifications.
(a) 
The Borough of Florham Park will issue a yard placard which the owner must display signifying that the property is irrigated by an irrigation manager.
(2) 
The irrigation manager must be an EPA WaterSense Partner or show evidence of successfully completing one of the approved courses listed below:
(a) 
Rutgers University Continuing Education Course, Irrigation Systems: Scheduling.
(b) 
Irrigation Association's online course, Landscape Irrigation Scheduling.
(c) 
A comparable course offered by a recognized continuing education facility or professional association.
(3) 
A property specific irrigation program shall be developed by the irrigation manager based on plant variety, soil type, exposure, slope, precipitation rate, and irrigation efficiency.
(4) 
Weekly adjustments shall be made to the irrigation schedule based on current evapotranspiration (ET) rates or weather conditions.
(5) 
If it is found that an irrigation manager does not follow any of the terms prescribed in this section, they may be disqualified from acting as a property's irrigation manager.
E. 
All automatic irrigation systems:
(1) 
Shall be equipped with an operational automatic rain sensor device, which disables the system when a predetermined amount of rainfall has occurred. Each rain sensor device shall be capable of and programmed to interrupt the automatic irrigation cycle when 1/4 inch of rain has fallen.
(2) 
Any work performed on a system as a result of any inspection made by the homeowner or a professional must be in compliance with the Landscape Irrigation Contractor Certification Act of 1991 (NJSA 45:5AA-3).
(3) 
Flowers and shrubs irrigated with drip or micro irrigation may be watered as needed.
F. 
All new irrigation systems must comply with the following:
(1) 
The system must be installed by an EPA WaterSense Partner who holds a New Jersey Landscape Irrigation Contractor Certificate pursuant to NJSA 45:5AA-3.
(2) 
New Jersey Irrigation Best Management Design Practices are listed below:
(a) 
Designing a system that insures sufficient operating pressure at the sprinkler head;
(b) 
Dividing irrigated areas into hydro-zones of turf and plants with similar water requirements;
(c) 
Creating zoning systems according to exposure;
(d) 
Considering the soil type so the sprinkler irrigation precipitation rate is compatible with the soil infiltration rate or dividing the zone runtimes into multiple short cycles;
(e) 
Providing separate control of sloped areas;
(f) 
Preventing sprinkler heads from overthrowing onto driveways, roads, and sidewalks;
(g) 
Providing for separate irrigation for parkway strips between curbs and sidewalks that minimizes overthrow onto walks, pavement, and other impervious surfaces;
(h) 
Using pressure regulating technology as necessary to ensure sprinkler heads operate within the manufacturer's recommended range. The pressure regulation may be:
[1] 
A pressure regulation device at the point of connection;
[2] 
Pressure regulation at each remote control valve;
[3] 
Pressure regulation at the sprinkler head;
[4] 
A combination of the above.
(i) 
Irrigating all flowers and shrubs with drip and/or micro-irrigation;
(j) 
Including check valves in low sprinkler heads to prevent low-point drainage;
(k) 
Having a pressure regulating device and wye strainer on each drip/micro control valve.
(3) 
System must have a SMART controller capable of estimating or measuring depletion of available plant soil moisture and operating the irrigation system only to replenish the water as needed while minimizing excess water use.
(a) 
The SMART controller must be an EPA WaterSense labeled SMART controller and listed on their website http://www.epa.gov/watersense/product search.html and select irrigation controllers from the drop down menu.
(b) 
The SMART controller must be programmed by an EPA WaterSense Partner who holds a New Jersey landscape irrigation contractor certificate pursuant to NJSA 45:5AA-3.
[1] 
Proper sprinkler head data and accurate soil/plant/irrigation information must be entered;
[2] 
The SMART controller programming data shall be posted at the controller;
[3] 
The WaterSense partner must make a minimum of two site visits after the initial programming to adjust and fine tune the irrigation schedule.
G. 
Violations. Any person who violates this section shall be subject to the penalty provisions set forth in accordance with Chapter 1, § 1-16 of this Code. In addition to the specific requirements set forth in this section, it shall be a violation of this section for any person to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cause, permit or allow watering or irrigation on any property owned, leased or managed by that person on which any of the following takes place:
(1) 
Watering during any form of precipitation;
(2) 
Water leaking from any irrigation equipment;
(3) 
Water puddling on landscape or impervious surfaces;
(4) 
Water runoff from irrigated property.
H. 
Enforcement. This section may be enforced by the Police Department or by the Zoning Enforcement Officer. The first violation of this section shall be result in a warning to the appropriate party. Any subsequent violation shall be subject to the penalties as provided herein.
I. 
Exemptions. This section shall not apply to the following activities:
(1) 
Outdoor water use from rain water harvesting, gray water, or reclaimed water are exempt from the provisions of this section. Use of gray or reclaimed water must have an approved NJPDES permit issued through the NJDEP.
(2) 
Outdoor water use for commercial farms producing harvestable crops, commercial nurseries, sod farms and golf courses are exempt from the provisions of this section.
(3) 
Outdoor irrigation necessary for one day only where treatment with an application of chemicals require immediate watering to preserve an existing landscape or to establish a new landscape.
(4) 
Outdoor irrigation necessary for the establishment of newly sodded lawns or landscaping within the first 21 consecutive days of planting.
(5) 
Visually supervised operation of an irrigation system by a person in compliance with the New Jersey Landscape Irrigation Contractor Certification Act of 1991 (NJSA 45:5AA-1) and at the minimum rate necessary in order to check system condition and effectiveness.
(6) 
Passenger vehicle washing in all residential zones.
(7) 
Athletic fields and nurseries.
[Amended 2-15-2000 by Ord. No. 1-00]
Residential and commercial users supplied through arrangements with other water utilities will be billed as stated in a resolution of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Florham Park.