NJ American Water Raises Rates For Summit Residents

SUMMIT, NJ — New Jersey American Water announced Wednesday that it will be increasing rates for Summit residents.

According to an announcement from the water utility company, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities granted NJ American Water an increase in rates for Summit residents.

The company’s rate request, which was filed on Jan. 14, 2022, was driven by more than $985 million in infrastructure investment since the company’s last rate filing. The new rates will go into effect on Sept. 1.

With the approved rate increase, NJ American Water said the monthly bill for an average water customer using 5,520 gallons will increase by about $2.93, and the monthly bill for an average wastewater customer will increase approximately $3.74.

Even with the new rates, NJ American Water said the cost of high-quality, reliable, water and wastewater service continues to be about one penny per gallon and remains among the lowest household utility bills.

"While nobody likes to hear that rates are increasing, the long-term cost of not performing such necessary work would be a far greater cost," the company said in a statement. "It is well documented that a safe, reliable water supply is vitally important for communities to thrive. The improvements we make in our systems help ensure water is available when needed."

NJ American Water said repairs made to water mains during an emergency can cost up to ten times more than a planned replacement of rehabilitation.

"Though emergencies will always occur, our strategic and proactive planning ultimately aims to lessen these occurrences and saves our customers from bearing the brunt of higher costs," NJ American Water said.

City Administrator Michael Rogers said in a statement to Patch, "While we never like to see the cost of utilities increasing, New Jersey American Water has made important infrastructure improvements to maintain the quality and safety of the water supply in our area.”

Summit spokesperson Amy Cairns said all households and business in Summit receive water from NJ American Water.

Rates charged for service may vary based on a customer’s meter size, according NJ American Water. All customers pay the same rate for water usage and are billed based on a regular monthly meter reading for residential customers as well as for commercial and other public authority customers.

As an example, in Ocean City, NJ American Water charges $18.50 per month on a meter size that is 5/8 inches, but will charge $147.99 on a meter that is two inches. Check out the full pricing chart here.

For a specific breakdown of the new rates, additional information can be found at www.newjerseyamwater.com under Customer Service & Billing, Your Water and Wastewater Rates.

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