Water, Sewer Rates Expected to Rise

Water and sewer rates for Brick Township residents are expected to rise 3.9 percent come April 1, Brick Patch has learned.

The Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority (BTMUA) will hold its annual rate hearing March 28, at a meeting where commissioners will vote on the rate hike.

James Lacey, BTMUA chairman, said a combination of factors led to the decision to propose a rate increase, including lower interest rates and a hike in sewerage processing prices by the Ocean County Utilities Authority (OCUA).

Still, Lacey said, things are better in Brick than other areas of the state.

"If you look at most of our competitors in the area, you'll see we've had very small increases compared to some that have had double digit increases every year," said Lacey.

One of the primary drivers of the rate increase, Lacey said, is an increase in the amount the BTMUA must pay for OCUA to process the township's sewage. The BTMUA collects sewage, he said, but it then runs through a trunk line to the OCUA facility on Mantoloking Road to be treated.

The current water rate paid by BTMUA customers is a minimum quarterly charge of $20.96 plus $3.35 per 1,000 gallons. A rate of $5.45 per 1,000 gallons is charged if a customer uses more than 10,000 gallons per quarter.

The current sewer rate for residential customers is $83.59 plus $1.62 for each 1,000 gallons of sewage generated up to 18,000 gallons quarterly.

The rate increase will also hit customers who have a second meter to measure water usage directed towards irrigation systems or pools. That rate will also rise by 3.9 percent, Lacey said, though no sewer rate is applied for those types of meters.