Vernon to sell unused water mains

By Leigh Tenore
VERNON — The Vernon Township Council approved a public auction on March 23 to sell the township's unused water transmission mains, which run under Route 94.

The lines run from the intersection of Route 94 and Church/Main Street for 915 feet, with an additional, smaller section running under Church Street west to the Route 94 and Omega Drive intersection.

The minimum bid to purchase the water lines is $151,000, the cost of the construction of the lines.

The pipes were constructed by the township but were never fully connected. They lie within the franchise area of United Water and are an integral part to supply water to Vernon’s Town Center, officials said.

Assuming United Water is the winning bidder the company's next step would be to apply to the Board of Public Utilities to expand its service area. Anyone can bid to purchase the lines, which were tested and found to be serviceable.

“This all seems to me to be piecemeal,” Councilmember Dan Kadish said of the two-phase plan. “Is there no real long-range plan to bring water to the Town Center?

Phase One would secure the water main to bring a limited amount of water, with Phase Two expanding the franchise area to provide enough water to supply the Town Center. Such expansion requires approval by the BPU.