Photo by Boyd Loving
N.J. allows utilities to impose special rate hikes that target leaky pipes
The state has made it easier for water utilities to raise their rates so they can repair thousands of miles of leaky, aging pipes across New Jersey that lose billions of gallons of treated drinking water each year.
“People get upset about rates going up, but we have some very old infrastructure and you’ve got to maintain it,” said Stefanie Brand, head of the state’s Division of Rate Counsel, which advocates for utility ratepayers. “It’s a very difficult issue.”
New Jersey’s water utilities have some of the oldest pipes in the country – some date back more than 100 years — and many are riddled with leaks. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that in New Jersey alone, $4.7 billion needs to be spent on the water transmission and distribution infrastructure over the next two decades. (O’Neill, The Record)
