FAQ
Bill Payment and Administration
1. How can I pay my bill?
You can pay your bill the following ways:
- Mail your check. You check should be made out to TRWRA and mailed, with the bill stub to:
TRWRA
PO Box 786065
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19178-6065 - Hand deliver the payment to the TRWRA office
- Pay annually the entire bill (This is a good alternative for those people who have trouble remembering to send the quarterly check)
- Automatically debit your checking account. Click here for form. Cut off dates for accepting applications January 31st, April 30th, July 31st and October 31st. Industrial Accounts are not eligible for Direct Debit. Account balances must be current. NO DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS CAN GO ON DIRECT DEBIT.
- Pay your bill through your own bank’s online bill pay (Simply go to your banks website and sign up for online bill pay then set up your TRWRA payments)
- Pay online with any non-Visa credit card or debit card
2. When is my bill due?
Sewer bills are due quarterly on February 1st, May 1st, August 1st and November 1st.
3. Is interest charged if I make my payment late?
The Authority allows a grace period until the end of the month in which the bill is due. There is a 1.5% interest charge per month if payment is not received during the month in which it is due.
4. What happens if I do not make my sewer payments in an entire year?
If your sewer account is delinquent at the end of the current year, the amount which was owed will be sold in tax sale and a lien will be placed on your property unless your account is paid in full and all past year liens are satisfied.
5. How much is my sewer bill?
The Authority charges $360.00 per year for the sewer bill which is billed quarterly ($90 per quarter).
6. What are the hours of the Authority?
The Authority offices are open from 8:00AM to 4:30PM on weekdays except the following holidays:
- Open until noon on the day prior to New Year’s Day and Christmas Day,
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King’s Birthday
- President’s Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day.
The treatment plant is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency call the Control Room Main Operations number @ (732) 229-8578 Extension 33 or the operator’s cell phone at (732) 567-2546.
7. What is the billing address and who should I make my check out to?
Your check should be made out to TRWRA and mailed with the bill stub to:
TRWRA
1 Highland Avenue
Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750
8. How do I get to the Authority?
9. When are the Authority’s meetings?
The Authority holds both the public Workshop Meeting and the regular public Board Meeting on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM.
10. Do I have to pay a fee to connect to the sewer system?
Yes, there is a connection fee which is currently equal to $5,850.00 that is adjusted every February in accordance with State statutes.
In addition, the cost of the physical connection to the sewer is charged based on the contractor’s charge to the Authority which is publicly bid annually per connection.
11. I bought a house in an Authority Member Town; how do I make sure that I receive a sewer bill?
In order to change the ownership of a sewer account, the Authority requires legal notice of the closing. Please have you attorney send an e-mail to rpitts@trwra.org, detailing the property information, closing date and new owner’s information.
12. I am moving out of the area, how do I make sure I stop sewer bill payment?
In order to change the ownership of a sewer account, the Authority requires legal notice of the closing. Please have you attorney send an e-mail to rpitts@trwra.org, detailing the property information, closing date and new owner’s information.
13. What do I do if I plan on tearing down and rebuilding my house?
Anyone demolishing a house must disconnect from the sewer to protect debris, sand and storm water from flowing into the Authority’s pipe and damaging Authority equipment during the demolition. The homeowner is responsible for retaining a contractor to disconnect and reconnect the sewer.
In order to disconnect from the sewer system, you must first submit a Disconnection Application. There is a $200 disconnection fee that will be applied to your sewer bill. Then, you must contact the Authority to schedule an inspection, after which the Authority will issue you a Certificate of Inspection.
Upon construction of the new house, you must submit a Reconnection Application. There is a $200 reconnection fee that will be applied to your sewer bill. Then, you must contact the Authority to schedule an inspection, after which the Authority will issue you a Certificate of Inspection, that you will need to present to the Town in order to receive a Certificate of Occupancy.
14. I only use my house in the summer and don’t use it in the winter; do I still have to pay a sewer bill?
Unless you pay the $200 disconnection fee and $200 reconnection fee and physically disconnect your house from the system, you are charged a sewer bill. Please keep in mind the Authority’s sewer bill includes construction of the infrastructure including pipes, and pumps that even if your house is not flowing to the Authority for a period of time, still must be there for the moment that you flush or turn on the faucet.
15. I am only a single person living in a house by myself; why do I have to pay a sewer bill equal to a large family that sends a lot more sewage to the treatment plant?
The bills are equal because infrastructure including pumps, pipes and tanks has been constructed to handle the capacity from the average house on a peak day. If you only send a little flow most of the time we cannot change the size of the pipe.
If you were to suddenly have a high flow, for instance, after selling your house to a large family or have a large number of occupants on a given day, the Authority must handle that flow even though you are not using it most of the time and the infrastructure has already been put in place.
16. How much are businesses billed for sewer service?
Major water users are billed on a “per gallon” basis for one Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) per 75,000 gallons (currently $360.00). Businesses that are not water intense are billed based on the number of employees where every 4 employees per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) (currently $360.00)
17. What does my sewer bill pay for?
Your sewer bill pays for the operation and maintenance of a $68 million dollar state-of-the-art treatment plant where the water is purified before being disinfected and discharged offshore in the ocean. There are over 230 miles of pipeline and 19 pumping stations. The average home sends 75,000 gallons or 10 tractor trailer loads of sewage per year from their curb to the treatment plant on Raccoon Island in Monmouth Beach.
18. How often does the sewer bill increase?
The Authority’s sewer charge has not increased since January 2003. The Authority’s commitment to protecting the environment in the most efficient way possible combined with the ever increasing complexity of regulations require the Authority to occasionally adjust its rate. The Board and professional staff of the Authority know that every efficiency improvement will help minimize any increase. There are no projected increases based on the current financial condition of the Authority.
19. I live in one of the Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority’s Customer Towns, do I have to pay a sewer bill to the Authority.
No. Your bills are paid directly to your municipality and the municipality pays a sewage treatment fee to Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority. The sewer treatment fee is calculated based on the amount of flow coming from that municipality and the cost of operations, debt service and construction.
Operations
1. How do I report an odor complaint?
If you notice an odor that you believe is related to the Sewer Authority’s treatment plant, pumping stations or sewer lines please send an e-mail to operator@trwra.org. or call the Authority at (732) 229-8578 extension 33.
2. If I see an overflowing manhole, what do I do?
Call the Authority at (732) 229-8578 extension 33 or send an e-mail to operator@trwra.org and also contact your local police department with a description of the closest intersection.
3. If sewage is backing into my house, what do I do?
If sewage is backing up into your house and it is not a clogged toilet, call the Authority at (732) 229-8578 extension 33 or the on-duty Operator’s cell phone number (732) 567-2546
Authority staff will investigate and solve the problem if it is the Authority’s system problem. If the problem is in your plumbing, Authority staff will recommend that you get a plumber.
Authority staff will investigate and solve the problem if it is the Authority’s system problem. If the problem is in your plumbing, Authority staff will recommend that you get a plumber.
4. What part of the sewer system am I responsible for?
You own all piping in your house and outside in your yard to the cleanout near the curb. The Authority’s responsibility begins at the cleanout and extends to the street and all the pipes to the treatment plant.
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain internal plumbing in the house as well as the pipe outside of your house to the cleanout.
If there is a blockage that causes damage in your house as a result of a problem with the Authority’s system, the Authority must be notified, the Authority’s insurance company will be notified and they will investigate the damage and work to rectify the claim. The quicker the insurance company is notified, the more complete resolution will be possible.
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain internal plumbing in the house as well as the pipe outside of your house to the cleanout.
If there is a blockage that causes damage in your house as a result of a problem with the Authority’s system, the Authority must be notified, the Authority’s insurance company will be notified and they will investigate the damage and work to rectify the claim. The quicker the insurance company is notified, the more complete resolution will be possible.
5. What is a cleanout?
The cleanout is a brass capped four inch pipe that is usually flush with the grass and is used for accessing the pipes with cameras or cleaning devices. A cleanout is usually found between the curb and sidewalk in front of the house.
6. Am I allowed to discharge my sump pump, storm drain or roof leaders into the Authority’s sewer system.
No. Sump pumps, roof drains or yard drains are not allowed to enter the sanitary sewer system. In the street there are 2 types of sewer systems; one that is frequently called storm sewer and one is called sanitary sewer. The Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority has manholes labeled TRWRA or NMCRSA and they are purely for sanitary sewage. If a storm sewer, sump pump or roof liter is connected to the TRWRA system, it can cause severe damage to the Authority’s ability to treat the sewage and protect the environment.
It is against the law to discharge rain water into the sanitary sewer system. You should contact your local municipality on where the sump pump, roof liter or storm drain should be discharged.
It is against the law to discharge rain water into the sanitary sewer system. You should contact your local municipality on where the sump pump, roof liter or storm drain should be discharged.
7. How do I schedule a tour for my school or business at the Authority’s treatment plant?
You can e-mail the Executive Director, Michael Gianforte at mgianforte@trwra.org
Include your proposed group size, length of tour you desire, level of education of the group and time of day and time of year when you would like to have the tour.
Include your proposed group size, length of tour you desire, level of education of the group and time of day and time of year when you would like to have the tour.
8. How do I find out about upcoming bids for the Authority’s commodities or construction?
Click here to visit our Bids webpage.
9. How do I buy surplus equipment from the Authority?
The Authority posts any surplus equipment sale on www.GovDeals.com.
10. I plan on developing a property in the Authority’s Member Town service area; what are the requirements?
11. How do I request a public document from the Authority?
Click here for a link to the Open Public Records Act request form which has detailed information.
12. How much sludge does the Authority remove from the sewage.
The Authority removes about 60 tons of sludge from the treatment process every day or the equivalent of about 2 ½ tractor trailer loads every single day.
The Authority’s treatment system protects the delicate environment from over 60 tons of potential pollution every day of the year.
The Authority’s treatment system protects the delicate environment from over 60 tons of potential pollution every day of the year.