Sussex Borough and Aqua Water

Sussex Borough some 2,200 people, and some 900 homes or housing structures. Like most small towns it is seeking to develop its business model, and improve the main roadway — Route 23 — to attract new business, such as, a large grocery store for lower prices and jobs. It has a great asset, its own water system, powered by a deep water lake located to the north of the town — Lake Rutherford, which is pristine, and open for fishing.

The lake provides gravity fed water to the town. Like most towns — small or big in New Jersey or the nation, the infrastructure is old. In New Jersey, we are wasting 20 percent of our clean drinking water. Pipes get old and eventually close or break, shutting down streets, and shutting down economic dreams.

This is not only a problem, as stated for the Borough of Sussex, but the entire state, and nation. As rated by the American Society of Engineers (ASCE), New Jersey’s water infrastructure is on the verge of flunking, with a grade of C for drinking water, and a D for wastewater. Small towns like Sussex find themselves in a pinch, and then comes the big company that, in this case, is Aqua America.

Aqua America has had problems in New Jersey, which is something they deny. The company has bad ratings from the Better Business Bureau, and has had complaints across the nation. They are known for low ball rates that rise drastically within in a 5-year period of operation. Across the nation, many public water systems that have gone to private entities come back to public water companies.

My interest is to ascertain, if it is a prudent choice to switch to a private water company, which may not be this one, and, additionally, to make sure that Sussex County Municipal Utility Authority (SCMUA) remains in a state that is fair to all municipalities in the county. I pledge to be a watchdog on all issues that impact the county, and not to seek any monetary advantage.

Bill Weightman
Hardyston