Howell council will try to offer assistance on residents' water bills
BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

HOWELL - Residents of The Reserve at the Manasquan River residential development who have received exceptionally high water bills may have been thrown a life preserver.

During the Township Council's Oct. 10 meeting held at Memorial Middle School, scores of residents assembled before the governing body to ask for help. The council members responded by saying they will do anything they can to assist the newest residents of Howell.

The Reserve at the Manasquan River, a Lennar development, is on Route 524 across from the Surrey Downs adult community. In recent weeks, residents of the development have reported receiving quarterly water bills from the New Jersey-American Water Co. totaling more than $1,000. The bill also includes sewer charges. The bills ran into four figures, they said, because they were told by the builder to water their new sod lawns to get them to take root.

The residents said they have been told by the water company that the charges are based on water consumption and there is little they can do other than to install a water meter which will separately charge the water being used in the home's irrigation system. That extra meter would cost $2,300, according to the residents.

The residents believe Lennar is negligent for not providing the separate meter, an auxiliary line or a well.

At the council meeting, Mayor Joseph DiBella told the residents what the township is doing to help them.

"This is unconscionably obscene," he said of the water bills. "I had a long conversation with Congressman (Chris) Smith and I followed up with his office. He is working on a meeting with the directors of the Board of Public Utilities and (ratepayer) advocate."

DiBella accused New Jersey-American of "continual price-gouging."

The he turned his attention to Lennar.

"I'd like to see if we could get a meeting with the developer," the mayor said. "I'd like us to demand with the profits that have been made that they put the additional meter in at their (Lennar's) expense."

Deputy Mayor Peter Tobasco said although that may be tricky, the council needs to champion the residents' cause.

"Although, technically, we don't have jurisdiction of authority, we have dropped the ball," Tobasco said. "This has happened before. Lennar is responsible, too. They obviously irrigated their models for the better part of a year. They knew. They didn't disclose everything up front. I know you have buyer-beware, but here the developer didn't fully disclose."

Tobasco suggested that the developer enter an agreement with the homeowners that would help pay for the installation of separate water meters.

To complicate matters, in the same development Toll Brothers and Ryan Homes have also built houses. The council was previously unaware of that fact and plans to involve those companies in the proceedings as well.

In the meantime, some residents of The Reserve at the Manasquan River have placed signs on their lawns to draw attention to the water situation and Councilman Robert Walsh said, "I think you're doing the right thing [with the signs]. It's hard enough for builders to sell homes as it is. They don't need any more negative press."

Regardless of the current situation, Walsh called for future safeguards.

"I'm very concerned about the future," he said. "I don't know if at the Planning Board we can do things to ensure this doesn't happen again, but it just needs to stop. I don't know what the answer is, but it seems as though a lot of people are being neglected. I'll do whatever I can to help."

DiBella said Township Manager Thomas Czerniecki will continue to work on scheduling a meeting with all interested parties.