Summer Water Usage Among PMUA Topics

The Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority has come up with a way to credit ratepayers for water usage to fill pools, but giving credit for lawn sprinkler usage is proving more elusive.

Rates for sewer service are based on water usage, but seasonal uses such as pools and lawn care do not incur costs of treatment by the Middlesex County Utilities Authority. In answer to ratepayers' pleas, the PMUA offers a metering plan for pools. at no cost to the ratepayer. On Thursday, commissioners and staff discussed a letter from the office of Mayor Adrian O. Mapp on behalf of a resident who wanted relief from paying for water used in a lawn sprinkler system. Though a meter could be installed at the ratepayer's expense, the water company will not read two meters and the proposal would not be fair to people who use garden hoses.

A comment from Richard Hughes that didn't get through in the Comments section:

There appears be contradictory rules for PMUA's policy on the time period for which sewer rates are to be calculated.

  In the agency's document on Sewer Rates and Regulations, under section IV, subsection C (Schedule of Charges) PMUA states it bases sewer rates on water use "metered by the Elizabeth Water Company or other provider in the four quarters ending September 30th of proceeding year."  This is the practice in use.

 But under subsection G (Water Consumption Readings), page 25, paragraph 1 and 2, the PMUA states its policy is to calculate sewer rates based on water use data from providers

"on a quarterly basis" and and the "service charges will be calculated utilizing the most current water consumption figures available to PMUA."

  That suggests PMUA should calculate each quarterly sewer bill based on prior three months of water use, which would accommodate lawn watering and other individual seasonal practices in a fair and inexpensive manner for customers. There could be additional administrative costs of calculating rates quarterly instead of annually.  

  I may be misinterpreting the language, but clearly there appears to be conflicting policy directives.

  In a written appeal April 1 of our sewer rate, I asked for a review based on that apparent policy discrepancy.  I have yet to receive a response; I admit to being unreasonably impatient.  

  Dick Hughes

The issue may be among topics when the authority holds a joint meeting with the governing body in coming weeks. On Thursday, resident Alan Goldstein suggested billing based on water usage between December and March as an option.

Executive Director Daniel Mejias said the authority has five meters for pools. The first year they were offered, eight people signed up. Last year, the authority received 31 requests. (See.the link above for information on how to apply.)

In other business Thursday, commissioners voted not to terminate Mejias' contract and to approve Commissioner Robin Bright as board secretary. In addition, DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick & Cole LLC was approved to continue as legal counsel, with Chairman Henry Robinson and Commissioners Charles Tyndale, Michelle Graham-Lyons and Bright voting "yes" and Commissioner Carol Ann Brokaw voting "no." CME Associates was approved as solid waste engineering consultant.

The board approved numerous two-month contracts for insurance services, among other contracts.

In other news, a shared services recycling contract with Westfield has been approved and the PMUA is once again receiving E-waste at the transfer station from residents only. Applications are being taken for paid summer internships  for high school students. The authority is still combating illegal dumping and caught two instances on its own cameras. The footage was turned over to Plainfield police. Mejias said the PMUA, Plainfield Police Division and Public Works are collaborating to fight illegal dumping, but fines of only $250 to $500 may not be enough of a deterrent when offenders can save $1,000 by dumping on vacant lots.

--Bernice