United Water Toms River today filed for rate relief with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU). The proposed increase, if approved by the NJBPU, would increase the typical residential customer’s bill by approximately $13.13 per month or 44 cents per day – making the cost of water delivered to customer taps on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis less than one penny per gallon. At the time new rates could go into effect, more than $29 million of investments will have been placed into service for the benefit of customers since the company’s last rate decision.
“This filing with the BPU is directly related to the water quality improvements being made at the Holly Water Treatment Plant in Toms River and the Berkeley Radionuclide Treatment Plant on Mule Road in Berkeley Township,” said Rick Pfleiderer, director of operations for United Water Toms River. “We fully realize that this is a difficult economy and our customers are feeling squeezed in many ways.”
“However, like many communities across the nation, we continue to confront the challenges of aging water infrastructure and the need to ensure the safety and reliability of our water system so that we can meet increasingly strict water quality regulations,” Pfleiderer said. “These projects, though, demonstrate United Water’s commitment to meet our customers’ needs both today and in the future.”
Pfleiderer explained that the Holly Water Treatment Plant was extensively upgraded in 2009 using the latest water treatment technology for iron removal and disinfection. In addition to improving water quality, the upgrades provide greater pumping capacity to meet increased customer demand during peak periods.
In September of 2009, the company started construction of the new Berkeley Radionuclide Treatment Plant, which is being mandated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Located in the Holiday City South area in the Township of Berkeley, the plant will remove naturally occurring radionuclides from the water. It is required to be on line by early spring of 2010. United Water also installed almost a mile of new 20-inch diameter pipeline and recently started making significant upgrades to three wells and high service pumps. These investments will provide customers with improved water quality as well as more efficient and reliable service.
Notwithstanding concentrated cost control efforts, the company’s expenses have increased for items such as employee benefits, chemicals and energy. Additionally, many of these everyday expenditures related to providing high-quality water service have exceeded the rate of inflation.
“We’ve worked hard to control operating costs but prices continue to go up,” said Pfleiderer. “That’s one of the reasons we offer an aggressive water conservation program which helps our customers save water and lower their water bill. In addition, we also offer assistance through our UW Cares program for customers who cannot pay their water bill due to a financial hardship.”
The proposed increase in rates is subject to review, analysis and decision by the NJBPU, which may accept, modify or reject it in whole or in part. It may take up to nine months to process the filing.
About United Water
United Water Toms River provides water services to about 50,000 customers in Toms River, South Toms River and Berkeley. Its parent company, United Water, provides water and wastewater services to 7.3 million people in the United States. In addition to owning and operating 20 regulated utilities, United Water operates 240 municipal and industrial systems through public-private partnerships and contract agreements including three of the nation's largest water and wastewater contracts. The company’s affiliate, Utility Service Company, is the nation’s leading provider of long-term water tank management contracts with municipal and industrial clients. Founded in 1869, United Water is a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT.