New era for Allendale water system
Friday, August 2, 2013
BY ALLISON PRIES
STAFF WRITER
The Record
ALLENDALE — The months-long process of changing over Allendale’s water system management from public to private concluded Thursday with a contract signing at Borough Hall.
Representatives from United Water and the borough gathered at 10 a.m. to ink the five-year, $590,000-per-year deal that will have the utility company handle day-to-day operations for the borough-owned utility.
Allendale will continue to set water rates, but United Water will handle testing, regulation compliance, billing and most of the maintenance as of Thursday, Mayor Vince Barra said.
“The borough is going to be able to avail itself of one of largest and best-run water companies in the country,” Barra said. “They have a tremendous amount of expertise and resources that we don’t have, having had only three employees [in the water department].”
Keeping the borough current with growing state and federal regulations became too onerous for the small municipality, leading officials to send the management of the system out to bid.
It received three bids: United Water’s $590,000 bid, a Ridgewood Water bid for $970,000 and a bid from Newark Water for $1,018,190.
The United bid will save the borough about $193,000 per year, Barra said, money that can go toward capital improvements and stabilizing water rates.
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