Water Rate Hike Proposed for 2012

The ever-increasing water bills could be on the rise once more, according to Ridgewood Village officials.

Village Manager Ken Gabbert said at Wednesday's council work session that because of the record rains, consumption prior to September was down 50 percent while revenue dropped 40 percent.

The Ridgewood Village Council, which acts as the board of directors for the utility that also serves Midland Park, Wyckoff and Glen Rock, will hold a public hearing later this year to raise rates another 2 percent.

A 3 percent increase is annually charged to ratepayers, according to Ridgewood Water Director Frank Moritz, meaning the net increase should the 2 percent hike be approved by the council.

"We're now in a situation where the 3 percent which is already on the books and the additional two percent [will] need to put that into a resolution ordinance...simply to cover the expected shortfall at this point," Gabbert said.

Ridgewood Water currently charges $4.20 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed; ratepayers could see that figure rise to $4.41, Moritz told Patch Monday.

In the past two calendar years 26 percent, which officials say is needed to keep up with the strict federal and state standards, as well as capital infrastructure needs. The under the Ridgewood Water umbrella.

Wyckoff and others . The Township of , attempting to rescind the hikes and have the Village return millions back to ratepayers. Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney told Patch he believed there was no excuse for the increases.

"There's no justification right now for a rate increase, especially with the pending litigation we have," Rooney said.