Sewer bills don’t smell right to Morristown residents

A quarterly sewer bill in early 2016 shows sharp spike--to more than $1,000.
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By Kevin Coughlin

Heart surgeon Robert Coyne knows about shocks. But he wasn’t prepared for the one he got from his latest sewer bill.

“This is awful high,” he remembers telling himself upon discovering a quarterly charge of $1,028–more than three times his September billing, and nearly $400 more than his December charge.

He’s got plenty of company. Morristown officials have received more than 50 inquiries from residents reporting sharp spikes in their sewer bills, which have doubled and even tripled in some cases.

Morristown councilwoman Alison Deeb. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown councilwoman Alison Deeb. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“It’s absolutely crazy… this is really out of whack,” said Virginia Rich, whose $617 sewer bill nearly is triple what she paid last quarter. It’s about $150 more than her bill from the same period one year ago.

Affected areas include the Historic District and the Washington’s Headquarters-, Alexander Hamilton- and Cutler Park neighborhoods, said Councilwoman Alison Deeb.

Deeb’s Fourth Ward includes the Historic District, which has its share of snowbirds who may be unaware of the situation, she said.

“I have constituents away in Florida, who might be paying electronically. They might not realize the dramatic change in usage,” said Deeb. She also questioned a town policy that requires property owners to pay disputed fees now, and seek refunds later.

At last week’s council meeting, Mayor Tim Dougherty advised residents to report any billing discrepancies to the town tax office via email or by calling 609-292-6669. The town also has posted a list of Frequently Asked Questions here.

The sewer culprit? Blame last summer’s drought, suggests town Administrator Jillian Barrick.

Mayor Tim Dougherty consults with Administrator Jillian Barrick at council meeting. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Administrator Jillian Barrick consults with Mayor Tim Dougherty at January 2016 council meeting. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Town sewer bills are calculated based on water usage, on the theory that water coming in goes back out into the sewers.  And sewer bills are issued two quarters late, based on the prior quarter’s water bill, Barrick said.

“Therefore, the [sewer] bills recently sent out were for the July through September 2015 billing cycle,” she explained via email.

“Likely due to the dry summer last year, we have noticed greater than usual water consumption (likely from irrigation/sprinkler systems) which would drive up sewer billing.”

Although the state did not issue a drought warning until late September last year, “essentially we were in a drought for all of 2015,” said Laura Cummings, executive director of the Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, water supplier for Morristown, Morris Township, Morris Plains and Hanover.

Precipitation in Morris County over the last year is down 8.6 inches from the average, according to National Weather Service data.

So the SMCMUA had to ramp up water production last year by 247 million gallons, a 7.8 percent increase over the five-year average, Cummings said.

With no drought restrictions last summer, people were free to pour water on — and under– their brown lawns.

Jeff Hartke with a photo of the Morristown Sewage Treatment Plant, which got solar panels during his tenure. Photo by Berit Ollestad
Former town Engineer Jeff Hartke, in 2015 with a photo of the Morristown Sewage Treatment Plant. Photo by Berit Ollestad

“Irrigation systems consume a lot of the water,” said Cummings, who also is an engineer.

Most meter readings now are done electronically, reducing chances of errors, she said.

Coyne, the cardiologist with the heart-stopping bill, said he was puzzled to discover that only neighbors with odd-numbered houses on Ogden Place seemed to be seeing higher sewer charges.

Because lawn watering systems and swimming pools do not (usually) drain into the sewer system, residents can obtain separate water metering systems for those supplies, said Barrick, the town administrator.

That way, those gallons are not factored into their sewer bills, she said.

Billing adjustments can be made if erroneous water readings are detected, Barrick has told the council. Changes would be reflected in the next quarter’s bill.

 

 

 

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. Good work Morristown!! You’re starting to get it. Raise fees just like Morristownship until only the mega rich and the stackers can afford this town.

  2. Who is advising the administration on this? Did somebody just have a ” dream” one
    night and were told to do this?
    Seems like an administration that claims to be “Open and Transparent” would say exactly who came up with this idea.
    Was it a taxpayer? Resident? Friend of the administration?
    What are they doing with the millions of dollars they get from Atlantic Health?
    During both Irene and Sandy the area was a disaster. Do they have short memories?

  3. I thought the town paid off the bonds for the sewer plant. Seems like the bills should go down, rather than up.

  4. Residents at 40 Park have also been affected by sewer rate increase. It is unlikely irrigation system usage explains these increases given our urban location. The tax office needs to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the situation which they have yet to do.

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