Welcome to Jersey WaterCheck’s evaluation center — the Benchmark Hub.

The Benchmark Hub helps utility managers and state leaders dive into the factors that contribute to the need for water infrastructure investment. Here you will find the details, measures, reports, results, and data that we’ve gathered for every water and wastewater system in the state.

Scroll down to view details and data for the selected measure.
Goal
Subgoal
Measures
What is the Condition of My System?
To What Extent Can Everyone in My Community Afford Utility Services?

Annual residential cost/price of sewer services at 45,000 gallons of water consumption (system-level)

At an individual system level, this metric shows the estimated cost of sewer services for a household using 45,000 gallons of water per year, based on the rate schedule for the most recent full calendar year. For utilities that serve multiple municipalities, the value represents a weighted average*, using the latest 5-year population estimates from the American Community Survey. This metric is based on data collected for "A New Jersey Affordability Methodology and Assessment for Water and Sewer Utility Costs" (Van Abs, 2021). (See the Documents Library page for this report.)

This data can help convey how a system’s rate structures ensure it has enough revenue to operate in a financially sound manner and meet current and future needs. Low rates are not necessarily better than high rates, since the sewer service system’s rate structure needs to meet the goals of safe, dependable service to comply with government regulations and meet customers’ expectations. It's important to note this when looking at an individual system response and comparing it to other systems’ and/or your own utility bill.

Note: The reported value is an estimation, based on an annual fixed volume. Thus, a specific household’s utility bill may be different, as their usage may differ and their bill can include other fees that have not been factored into the research and analysis.

*The weighted average is used to obtain a single value for the purpose of this metric, but it can be skewed due to differences in how sewer rates are established by regional treatment plants and the municipalities it serves. The Understanding Jersey WaterCheck Data – Data Sources and Methodologies document (found in the Documents Library) features tables with details for the regional systems, including 2020 water and sewer rates by the system ID, municipality served, and 45,000 gallon cost.

Data Source: Research

Click here see the related state-level measure.

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