DEL HAVEN – After years of effort, a plan for bringing fresh water to the Del Haven area of Middle Township is about to see the start of construction.
Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority (LTMUA) sent a letter March 7 to the almost 1,000 properties that will benefit from the new water distribution system. The letter announced the imminent start of construction. It also brought home the reality of the financial cost associated with the project.
The epidemic and the ensuing economic disruption have delayed the project and driven up the costs. The LTMUA now says the effort will run $11.7 million, up from initial estimates of between $9 to $10 million.
For years, property owners in Del Haven and surrounding areas have complained about saltwater intrusion and the deteriorating quality of water from their wells.
An early effort by Middle Township officials to address the problem resulted in a 2015 plan developed by New Jersey American Water, which called for routing water mains from Whitesboro to Del Haven. The length of the journey and the complicated path the pipes would’ve had to take made the project a financial non-starter.
Efforts to explore running a water distribution system from the Wildwood City Water Utility also failed to produce a financially viable solution.
The almost 1,000 properties in the project area required a solution that imposed a financial commitment the property owners could realistically absorb. Middle Township officials were clear that the financial burden had to be self-contained in the project area itself. No effort that involved higher costs to the broad universe of municipal taxpayers would be considered.
Following the efforts with New Jersey American Water and Wildwood, Middle Township began to explore a possible solution with the LTMUA given the proximity of that utility’s distribution system to neighboring Del Haven.
By 2018, proposals progressed to the point where they could be presented to the community at a town hall meeting in July at the Green Creek Fire Hall. By December, Lower Township’s governing body gave the LTMUA the authority to supply water to the impacted areas of Middle Township.
According to LTMUA’s project map (pictured), the project entails laying 62,000 feet of water main, the installation of almost 200 valves and 116 fire hydrants, along with 962 connections, most in Del Haven and the remainder in Green Creek.
The only way the project could move forward was by having Middle Township adopt an ordinance that required each home in the project area to connect to the water system, which provided a substantial and defined universe of customers that allowed the LTMUA to finance construction.
As is true with any circumstance in which homeowners are required to participate, some say they have functioning wells and don’t need the water being brought to the area.
Middle Township Mayor Timothy Donohue responded to those who may oppose the effort by making clear that the governing body had to make a decision that was in the best interest of the larger common good of the community.
The nature of the financial burden is now clearer, as well. The March 7 letter from the LTMUA states that homeowners will be responsible for a $1,600 connection fee, which they can pay in one lump or over three years, with a signed no interest installment agreement.
Each property will also pay $175 per quarter for an allotment of 10,000 gallons. Excess use will be charged. This represents a change from the projections at the 2018 town hall when property owners were told they would have five years over which they could spread the connection fee.
Each property is responsible for the connection of the individual property’s water system to the water meter, an effort the LTMUA has estimated to cost between $1,000 and $1,500, but which some property owners have maintained will come at a higher cost.
The $175 per quarter charge includes both a water use fee and a fixed amount that will be applied to the debt service for the loans that finance the construction.
Supporters of the project note that connection to the water distribution system will raise property values and that the installation of fire hydrants should result in lower home insurance premiums.
Aware that the financial costs associated with hooking up to the new system may strap the resources of some property owners, Donohue says that the municipality and the LTMUA are doing all they can to ensure the availability of grants for those who qualify.
Middle Township Committee March 23 authorized application to the state Department of Community Affairs Small Cities grant program. The grant program is designed to support low- to moderate-income individuals. Donohue said other grant funds are being sought, as well.
In its letter to property owners, the LTMUA projects a nine-month construction phase, with water available to homes in 2023. The Middle Township ordinance gives property owners one year after construction to complete the required hook-up. Many residents have said they will want that connection as soon as it is available.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
