Residents press supervisors over 13% water rate hike and utility shortfalls

Gloucester County residents used the town‑hall forum to press supervisors about a recent 13% water and utility rate increase and what relief the county can offer to households facing higher costs.

Several speakers described their bills rising from about $208 to roughly $255 a month and asked whether the board could rescind the increase or put it to a countywide vote. Residents said the timing was particularly difficult amid high fuel and living costs. "Do I stop paying my water?" one speaker asked, summarizing the anxiety felt by others.

Board members and county staff said the utility system is an enterprise fund that must operate on its own revenues and that the county has deferred routine rate adjustments for years. Officials told the meeting there are just over 5,200 metered water customers (serving roughly 11,000 people) and about 2,000 sewer customers. Staff and board members cited multiple drivers of the shortfall: aging infrastructure with recent large leaks, a lack of sufficient staff to keep up with repairs, rising costs for chemicals and insurance, and years without incremental rate increases that would have spread those costs over time.

Officials said the 13% increase was adopted after public notice and a hearing and that the vote to raise rates passed the board previously (one attendee recalled a five‑to‑two vote). County staff said the increase is intended to restore utility solvency; a preliminary estimate discussed in the meeting suggested a possible 14% increase could be necessary in a coming year unless growth in customer counts moderates costs. The board also noted a portion of the meals tax would be directed to the utilities department (estimated between $850,000 and $935,000) to provide additional relief to the utilities budget.

On hardship assistance, staff said the utility department does not maintain a hardship fund but provides contact information for nonprofit partners, including Mission H2O and the Salvation Army, which can assist individuals who cannot pay their bills. Supervisor responses were candid: some members said they had voted against the rate hike but that the county faces limited options without either increased users or new revenue sources.

Board members encouraged residents to report leaks and to work with staff on targeted solutions and said staff will continue looking for cost savings. The board also emphasized long‑term options such as measured growth of customer base, which would spread fixed costs over more users and help moderate rates over time.