Articles Roads and utilities
Franklin's Water and Sewer, Explained
Who runs Franklin's drinking water and its sewers; where the water comes from; the 2026 rates, connection fees, bond and Water Utility budget; the water main and meter contracts; what the 2025 Water Quality Report says; the Sewerage Authority's rates and budget and the $100,000 the Council asked it for; where the records differ; and what residents can do.
The short version
- Drinking water is run by the township’s Water Utility, which buys water from New Jersey American Water and the New Brunswick Water Utility. Sewers are run by the Franklin Township Sewerage Authority (FTSA), a separate authority whose commissioners the Council appoints.
- In 2026 the Council adopted a $4,588,000 water bond, set the water curb connection fee at $2,650.62 per unit, awarded about $4.6 million in water main contracts and a meter contract of up to $3,000,000.
- The 2026 Water Utility budget is $24,849,476.14, adopted with the township budget, 9–0.
- The FTSA’s sewer user charge is $410.86 a year per unit, and its connection charge $4,337.
- Five residents spoke about main replacement work on King Road, South Dover Avenue and Cedar Brook Drive on September 22, 2026.
Who runs what
The Water Utility is a department of Public Works with its own budget and public water system ID (NJ1808001). It does not treat its own water: the 2025 Water Quality Report says the source is surface water from New Jersey American Water’s Raritan System, “which supplies most of our water,” and the New Brunswick Water Utility. The utility’s budget line for purchased water was $12.75 million in 2025 and 2026; actual spending was $10,047,677 in 2023 and $11,327,429.25 in 2024.
The FTSA was created by township ordinance in October 1956. Its five permanent and two alternate commissioners are appointed by the Council for five-year terms. It runs about 200 miles of sewer pipe and 20 pump stations with “approximately two dozen employees.” Council members Anbarasan and Francois sit on its board, and Mr. Onyejiaka is the Council’s 2026 liaison.
Water rates and fees
Quarterly consumption rates in effect since July 1, 2025 (all customers except apartment complexes), from the Township Code:
| Quarterly use (gallons) | Rate per gallon |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10,000 | $0.008203 |
| 10,001 to 25,000 | $0.008359 |
| 25,001 to 50,000 | $0.008749 |
| 50,001 to 100,000 | $0.009179 |
| More than 100,001 | $0.009960 |
The minimum charge is $82.03 a quarter for a 5/8–3/4 inch meter. Apartment complexes pay $0.008984 a gallon. Section 384-12E adjusts the rate automatically “by an amount equal to the blended percent increase in the wholesale water rates from our suppliers.” The record found does not say whether an automatic adjustment was applied in 2026. No new water-rate ordinance was found between October 2025 and October 2026.
Connection fee. Ord. 4488-26 set the 2026 curb connection capital fee at $2,650.62 per equivalent unit (one unit is 206 gallons a day), up from $2,511.45, based on a system cost of $81,768,991 and 30,849 units. Township and public school buildings pay no fee. Introduced January 13 (9–0) and adopted February 10, 2026 (8–0) after a hearing with no comments.
The Water Utility budget
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (adopted) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water rents | $14,404,092.95 realized | $17,260,636.45 realized | $17,260,000 anticipated |
| Fund balance used | $4,000,000 | $3,300,000 | $2,474,476.14 |
| Total revenues | $23,125,778.26 realized | $27,446,764.53 realized | $24,849,476.14 |
| Fund balance, December 31 | $3,308,342.45 | $4,784,214.15 |
The 2026 Water Utility budget was adopted May 26, 2026 with the township budget, each resolution 9–0. The utility repays its own debt from water revenue; its scheduled principal is $2,040,000 in 2026 and $2,085,000 in 2027.
Mains and meters
| Date | Action | Amount | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2026 | Ord. 4505-26, water utility bond: main replacement, apartment meter pits, pump stations, Kingston interconnect meter pits, SCADA, video surveillance, software | $4,588,000 | 6–0 |
| May 12, 2026 | Res. 26-205: Johnson Road, Orchid Court, King Road and MacAfee Road main replacement, MSP Construction | $2,697,496 | Consent 6–0 |
| May 12, 2026 | Res. 26-207: water system emergency repairs, J. Fletcher Creamer & Sons, Aug 2026–July 2028 | up to $450,000 a year | Consent 6–0 |
| May 26, 2026 | Final change orders: Main Street area Phase 2 ($2,835,910 to $2,746,844.75) and Main Street area ($2,834,893 to $2,769,217.43) | Consent | |
| July 14, 2026 | Res. 26-308 rejects both East Millstone bids because they “substantially exceed the Engineer’s Estimate and the funds appropriated” | Consent 8–0 | |
| August 11, 2026 | Res. 26-354: East Millstone main installation (rebid), Your Way Construction | $1,064,962 | 8–0 |
| August 11, 2026 | Res. 26-340: water meters, Core & Main LP, August 2026–July 2027 | up to $3,000,000 | Consent 8–0 |
| September 8, 2026 | Res. 26-374: Main Street Area 3 main replacement, William J. Guarini, Inc. | $885,962 | Consent 9–0 |
| October 27, 2026 (agenda) | Res. 26-449: final change order, Cedar Brook main replacement ($987,231.00 to $941,685.91); Res. 26-448: water management software, up to $50,000 a year | No minutes yet |
The Water Utility’s page says the Mandatory Water Meter Replacement Program, run by VEPO Metering, covers “7,800 Franklin Township Water customers that received the letter,” at no charge to homeowners. How many meters have been replaced is not in the record found.
What residents said. On September 22, 2026 Warren Nevins and Heidi Hanson of King Road, Paulette Ritterson of South Dover Avenue, and Donald Bennett and Christian Kohler of Cedar Brook Drive spoke about the water main replacement project. The full minutes, printed in the October 13, 2026 packet, record plumbing leaks and pressure-relief-valve discharge after the main work, high water pressure and water heater problems, and rocks in the street; Mr. Bennett “argued that check valves created ‘closed systems’ leading to leaks,” and Mr. Kohler “supported check valves for system integrity but criticized the failure to notify homeowners of necessary plumbing modifications.” The Township Manager “accepted responsibility for failing to include information about potential plumbing impacts on residential flyers, noting it had only been posted on the website,” and said the Township Attorney is apprised. The short action notes for that night list his paving answer as “3-6 months after a water main installed - street on list to be paved.”
Leak adjustments. The Council adjusted water bills for hardship leaks by resolution at 12 meetings from October 28, 2025 to October 13, 2026, and another was on the October 27, 2026 agenda. The largest single adjustment noted was $7,431.99, on October 13, 2026.
Water quality: the 2025 report
- Lead and copper. Lead at the 90th percentile was 2.3 ppb (range not detected to 8.1), with 0 of 59 sites above the 15 ppb action level; copper was 0.278 ppm, 0 of 59 above 1.3. The service line inventory is on the township website.
- PFAS in the suppliers’ water was below state limits: PFOA 7 ppt (New Jersey American Water) and 6.6 ppt (New Brunswick) against a limit of 14; PFOS 5 and 4.2 ppt against 13.
- Disinfection by-products. HAA5 averaged 37 ppb against a limit of 60. For TTHMs, see below.
- Notices. The report lists four items: a Q1 2025 TTHM/HAA5 sample not collected (“This was a staff sampling collection issue”; it “reflects a failure to monitor, not a confirmed exceedance”); water quality parameter results for January–June 2025 that “were resubmitted, and all testing parameters were within normal levels”; a lead and copper sample rejected after “a communication issue between staff and the laboratory”; and an Operational Evaluation Level exceedance for TTHMs at Site 3 in Q3 2025.
The utility’s “Messages” page still carries an older notice: from January 1 to June 30, 2021 the system “failed to consistently meet treatment technique requirements for our corrosion control system.”
The Sewerage Authority
| Charge | Earlier | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Annual user charge, per unit | $399.28 (from November 1, 2023) | $410.86 (from November 1, 2025) |
| Connection charge, per unit | $3,636.00 (from June 1, 2024) | $4,337.00 (from June 1, 2026) |
The FTSA noticed a public hearing on the connection fee for July 7, 2026. Its FY2027 budget (June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027) projects revenues of $18,061,000, including service charges of $17,468,000 (residential $10,338,000; business and commercial $3,883,000; industrial $3,247,000) and connection fees of $300,000. Its budget message says: “Rates have been increased.”
On May 26, 2026 Mr. Anbarasan “discussed the issue of businesses discharging clean water into the sewer system, leading to increased costs for ratepayers, and outlined a plan to monitor water usage and normalize sewer rates.” On June 9 he said the message “was conveyed to the Sewerage Authority Board, and the Executive Director and engineering firm are researching water usage to correct billing imbalances.”
Where the records differ
Each item is given as the record states it. LocalWhy draws no conclusion.
- When a street is repaved after main work. September 22, 2026 minutes: “3-6 months after a water main installed - street on list to be paved.” The township’s Water Main Replacement page (undated, read October 29, 2026): “the roadway will be resurfacing in approximately one year after the work is completed.”
- TTHMs in the 2025 report. The results table gives TTHMs at 52 ppb (range 15–145) against a limit of 80 and marks “Violation: Yes.” Notice 1 says “No monitoring locations within our distribution system recorded TTHM or HAA5 results exceeding their respective MCLs during this compliance period.” Notice 4 reports a Site 3 locational running annual average of 89.6 μg/L and says “This is not a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) violation.”
- The $100,000 from the Sewerage Authority. On December 9, 2025 the Council asked the FTSA to transfer $100,000 of surplus to the township budget (Res. 25-512, consent 7–0). The township’s CY2025 audit shows $100,000 anticipated from the FTSA and a $(100,000.00) shortfall. The 2026 township budget anticipates $100,000 again. The FTSA’s FY2027 budget includes a $200,000 “Municipality/County Appropriation,” while the same budget answers “N/A” to “Identify any sources of funds transferred to the County/Municipality.”
- FTSA FY2027 appropriations. The budget resolution gives total appropriations of $17,391,670; the summary pages show $17,491,670 including the $200,000, and “Net Total Appropriations” of $17,291,670.
- Water department supplies. On October 28, 2025 the contract went to Core and Main LP (“Not to Exceed $800,00.00 per year,” as printed; Res. 25-455). On November 10, 2025, under a rebid, it went to Ferguson Water Works for up to $800,000 a year for the same term (Res. 25-476). No rescission of the first award was found.
What is not known
- How many of the 7,800 meters have been replaced, and when the program ends.
- The amounts of the rejected East Millstone bids and the Engineer’s Estimate.
- The findings of the Operational Evaluation due November 18, 2025 for the Site 3 TTHM exceedance.
- Whether the FTSA has paid the $100,000 or the $200,000, and when.
- The outcome of the FTSA’s July 7, 2026 connection-fee hearing.
- Whether the October 27, 2026 water items passed; the minutes are not yet posted.
What residents can do
- Speak at a Council meeting: November 10, November 24 and December 8, 2026, 7:00 p.m., 475 DeMott Lane.
- Speak at an FTSA meeting. The authority meets monthly, electronically, with a public comment period; the schedule is at ftsa-nj.org/meetings.
- Read the Water Quality Report each year on the township’s Water Utility page.
- Contact the Water Utility about a bill, a leak or the meter replacement letter.