Water Rates Increasing For Mendham Borough Residents

MENDHAM, NJ — Mendham Borough recently announced that New Jersey American Water will be increasing rates for all borough residents.

According to a water utility company announcement, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the NJ American Water rate increase for Mendham Borough residents.

The company's rate request, which was filed on Jan. 14, 2022, was motivated 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, according to officials.

Under 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 to approximately $3.74.

Despite the new rates, NJ American Water stated that the cost of high-quality, dependable water and wastewater service remains around one penny per gallon, ranking among the lowest household utility bills.

“We are proud of the level of investment we are able to make into our systems to continue to provide high-quality, reliable service, even through extreme weather and other challenges including the pandemic, while maximizing efficiencies to balance the impact to customers,” said Mark McDonough, President, New Jersey American Water. “The combination of effective capital planning and sound business management helps keep water and wastewater service both reliable and affordable for the 2.8 million people we proudly serve.”

New Jersey American Water would also like to remind customers about the various bill payment assistance programs that are available.

Customers who are having difficulty paying their water and/or wastewater bills are encouraged to call the company's Customer Service Center at 800-272-1325 to set up payment plans or budget billing.

Customers who meet the company's low-income requirements may also apply for assistance through the H2O Help to Others program, which provides water and wastewater service charge discounts of up to 100 percent.

Service rates may vary depending on the size of a customer's meter, according to NJ American Water. For both residential and commercial customers, as well as customers of other public authorities, all customers pay the same water usage rate and are billed based on a regular monthly meter reading.

In Ocean City, NJ, for example, American Water charges $18.50 per month for a meter size of 5/8 inch, but $147.99 for a meter size of two inches. The complete pricing chart can be found 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.