Sparta. The Sparta Township Council on Jan. 25 set a new, $6,854-per-unit water connection fee for new customers.
The ordinance has set that fee per Equivalent Dwelling Unit, which measures effluent. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, an EDU is “the standard residential unit upon which the nitrate dilution model is based, which is a single-family home with three bedrooms and three residents, or its equivalent in terms of flow generated or pounds of nitrate generated. The standard residential unit is assumed to generate 500 gallons per day of wastewater or 30 pounds per year of nitrate.”
The utility will consider a connection fee payment plan for properties with current or proposed water use calculations of three EDUs or higher. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Sparta Township Water Utility (Sparta Municipal Building, 65 Main St., Sparta Township, NJ 07871).
The property owner is responsible for paying the full calculated connection fee in up to five years. Payments would be due by Jan. 31 of each year following the first payment.
The total balance would become due if the property owner fails to make the agreed-upon payment within a month of the due date.