BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
HOWELL — Since the purchase of the Parkway Water Co. by the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority (BTMUA) appears imminent, officials of the authority met with its potential customers last week.
In anticipation of a large turnout, the meeting was held on Oct. 28 at Howell Middle School South. However, only a handful of Ramtown residents came to hear what the purchase of the Marlboro-based Parkway Water Co. by the BTMUA will mean to the customers now being served by the private company.
Parkway Water Co., which has been privately held for more than 30 years, is expected to sell due to radium contamination that had been detected in several of its wells. Radium is a natural soil contaminant that can infiltrate potable water aquifers when soil beds have been disturbed.
BTMUA directors are still considering whether to purchase the Parkway Water Co. and its customer base of 1,800 homes and business in Howell. Parkway Water serves customers in the Ramtown section of Howell, including three schools — the Ramtown Elementary School, the Greenville Elementary School and Howell Middle School South.
On Aug. 16 the BTMUA began temporarily selling 200,000 gallons of water daily to 500 customers in the lower section of Ramtown, after Parkway Water’s last uncontaminated well ran out of water. Residents in the upper section of Ramtown, as well as the three schools, continue to be served by the New Jersey-
American Water Co.
BTMUA Chairman Daniel F. Newman Sr. spoke first, addressing about 25 Howell residents, the mayor and the Township Council. He promised that despite the BTMUA’s need to install some infrastructure to accommodate all of Ramtown, Howell customers would pay the exact same rate as other BTMUA customers.
BTMUA Executive Director Kevin Donald presented information about the authority.
While none of the Parkway Water Co.’s wells will be used by the BTMUA following the purchase of the company, the two existing storage tanks will be used to store water following a flushing of the tanks, according to Donald.
In response to a question, Donald said BTMUA directors do not believe there would be a health threat associated with using the storage tanks.
The BTMUA currently provides water to Brick Township, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Borough and Lakewood. In addition to having an established rate base, Donald also pointed out the benefit for the authority’s customers in that their rates are state regulated.
Donald explained that once the sale of Parkway Water to the BTMUA is finalized, Ramtown customers will be “folded into the existing rate payers rate and will stay that way in perpetuity.”
Depending on the size of their water meter, some customers may end up paying the BTMUA more for water use than they did with Parkway Water. Donald explained that BTMUA customers only have three-quarter-inch or 1-inch meters and, as such, rates are figured for either of the two meters and do not include the five-eighth-inch meters installed at the homes of some Parkway Water customers.
According to Donald, the authority charges its customers $2.53 per 1,000 gallons of use up to 10,000 gallons. After 10,000 gallons, the rate increases to $4.12 per 1,000 gallons, according to literature the BTMUA handed out at the meeting.
Donald also informed everyone that the BTMUA would be switching from chlorine to chloramine to disinfect its water supply. According to a press handout, chloramine is preferable because it is more effective than chlorine and helps in reducing “disinfection byproducts.”
figured for either of the two meters and do not include the five-eighth-inch meters installed at the homes of some Parkway Water customers.
According to Donald, the authority charges its customers $2.53 per 1,000 gallons of use up to 10,000 gallons. After 10,000 gallons, the rate increases to $4.12 per 1,000 gallons, according to literature the BTMUA handed out at the meeting.
Donald also informed everyone that the BTMUA would be switching from chlorine to chloramine to disinfect its water supply. According to a press handout, chloramine is preferable because it is more effective than chlorine and helps in reducing “disinfection byproducts.”