NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley has rolled out a new way of billing property owners for their sewer fees, which officials say is a more “equitable” way of sharing the financial burden.
The town began including sewer fees as part of its water bills on July 1 – raising some homeowners’ eyebrows when their bill suddenly increased. Previously, homeowners and businesses paid their sewer fees through the municipal portion of their tax bills, which should now decrease by an equal amount.
Sewer fees in Nutley will be charged quarterly based on the amount of water supplied to the property, which will be determined by meter readings (or “industry-standard engineering methods” when readings can’t be used).
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In short: “water in, water out,” officials say.
“The new sewer charge is intended to be equitable, ensuring that all property owners contribute fairly based on their actual water usage,” township officials said. “Therefore, those who consume more water that discharges into the sewer system will pay more than those who consume less.”
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Here’s why Nutley is making the change, they explained:
“Under the existing system, all residential and commercial property owners in Nutley contribute a fixed percentage (9.3%) of their property’s assessed value towards the sewer system, regardless of their water consumption and wastewater generation. While researching options, we found that other Essex County and New Jersey municipalities already bill their sewer charges based on consumption rather than including it as part of the assessed property value. The new Sewer Utility aims to address this inequity by basing your sewer cost on actual water usage, ensuring that those who generate more wastewater pay a more proportionate share of the system’s expenses.”
How much will Nutley residents and businesses pay for sewer fees now? Here is the breakdown:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
Nutley’s sewer infrastructure consists of hundreds of miles of underground pipes carrying wastewater to the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission (PVSC) treatment plant in Newark. Additionally, the township maintains a sewer lift station in the southwest section of town to facilitate the movement of sewage from lower to higher elevations due to the area’s topography.
And the price tag of maintaining those pipes keeps going up, officials pointed out.
“Going forward, we expect that the costs to pay PVSC to take and treat our sewage as well as the cost to maintain and improve our sewer infrastructure, which is over 100-years-old, will continue to rise,” Nutley officials said.
“For this reason, the township looked to establish a more equitable way to fund the sewer system,” officials added.
The revenue generated from these charges will be dedicated solely to sewer-related expenses, officials said.
Credits will be made available to property owners who use “significant amounts” of water for swimming pools and lawn sprinklers, which don’t add to the burden on the sewer system, officials stated.
“Although this is a new way for Nutley residents to fund their sewage costs, it is not new in the state of New Jersey and Essex County,” town officials wrote in a letter that was sent to local residents.
“Nutley will now join the other 21 municipalities in Essex County with a sewer utility that provides a more equitable way to pay the cost of the sewage treatment by PVSC and the maintenance and improvement of the sewer infrastructure,” officials said.
More information about the new billing method can be found online here. The township has also created a frequently asked questions page, which can be seen here.
Residents and businesses with questions can email [email protected] or call the Nutley Water and Sewer Department at 973-284-4958
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