Vote YES to Repair and Modernize the South Orange Water System

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

This November, South Orange residents will vote whether to sell the Village's water system to New Jersey American Water. With this decision, residents have the opportunity to secure their water system for the future, without facing rate hikes.

As noted in the fall edition of the Gaslight Newsletter, Mayor Collum is encouraging residents to vote yes on the referendum. Doug Newman, Chair, South Orange Water Utility Task Force, former Village President (2007-2011), and 35-year South Orange resident has also endorsed the yes vote.

The Village’s water system is old, with most of the system past its useful life, and it will require significant investment to repair and modernize the system. If the Village retains ownership of the system, sharp rate hikes may be needed to cover costs to update the system. According to recent information provided by the Village, rates are expected to increase 74% over the next five years if South Orange retains ownership, compared to only 9% over the same time frame under New Jersey American Water ownership.

Voting yes on the sale means greenlighting $50 million in water infrastructure investments over 10 years to modernize and improve a system that is over 100 years old in some areas. These upgrades across the system would move forward immediately once the sale is finalized. Crews will get to work on key projects to remove lead service lines, replace the Crest Drive Standpipe, and rehabilitate the Main Reservoir and the Newstead Watersphere, while conducting a comprehensive analysis of the entire system to prioritize other improvements. New Jersey American Water also plans to launch an aggressive water main replacement program, removing the oldest water mains first.

To meet the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s mandate to remove all lead from water systems by 2031, New Jersey American Water would immediately begin a process to identify and replace all lead and galvanized steel service lines in the Village, both the customer-owned portion and the utility-owned portion. Most homes that were built in the 1970s or earlier were built with these lead or galvanized steel lines. New Jersey American Water operates an extensive program that has been removing lead service lines across the state at no direct cost to customers and would bring the same experience to South Orange.

New Jersey American Water’s total $69.7 million investment in South Orange includes the $50 million in infrastructure investments listed above and the purchase price of $19.7 million, which would be used to pay off all water utility debt, and a portion of municipal debt.

As South Orange draws closer towards this crucial vote, it's more important than ever for residents to make their voices heard. On this election day, make sure to vote on the water system sale referendum.

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.