Maplewood Township has announced that bills for the new Stormwater Utility, which was approved last fall to fund infrastructure projects and deal with the impacts of climate change, will go out this spring in property owner’s sewer bills.
Stormwater fees will be included in sewer bills which will be mailed in mid-May and will be due on the last Friday in June. Per the township website, “although they are billed in the middle of the year, the charges cover the full calendar year of Jan-Dec.”
Note that sewer taxes are NOT included in property tax bills, and are paid by property owners — not by property owners’ mortgage companies as part of the property tax.
A press release from the Township projects that “61% of residential property owners will pay roughly $70 per year; and 21% of residential property owners will pay roughly $35 per year.” Village Green has sent a followup email to the township asking what the other 18% of residential property owners are projected to pay.
The Stormwater Utility was unanimously passed by the Township Committee (5-0) last December after a public hearing where two residents said they supported the creation of the utility but questioned some of the specifics and what they characterized as a lack of robust information provided to the community.
The utility, which will be only the second one in New Jersey, will provide a regular pool of funds for annual drainage improvements and be funded by residential and commercial properties. Last fall the township estimated fees to range from $35-$175 annually based on the amount of impervious surface on a property.
The Township Committee had been discussing the creation of a utility for the last several years because of the increase in devastating storms and the township’s aging infrastructure, especially after 2021’s Tropical Storm Ida washed out roads, flooded homes and businesses and resulted in the death of a resident.
In September Township Committee member Vic DeLuca, who has shepherded the creation of the utility, said the township is projected to collect nearly $900,000 a year from the tax.
Related: Maplewood Leaders Signal Support For New Storm Water Utility
Read more here: ‘Climate Change Is Here’—Maplewood Creates Stormwater Utility, New Tax for Property Owners
Read the press release from the township here:
MAPLEWOOD, NJ [3-4-2025] – In December, Maplewood Township joined more than 2,000 municipalities across the country to establish a stormwater utility. The new utility, detailed in Ordinance 3138-24, is intended to better manage stormwater runoff that can impact public health, property, and the environment. The Township received technical support from Arcadis U.S. Inc. through a contract awarded by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.
The Township’s stormwater infrastructure (pipes, inlets, and outflow and discharge assemblies) is dated and becoming more strained as stormwater intensifies due to the increase in frequency and severity of rainstorms. As water runs off roads, rooftops and parking lots, our Township is getting more flooding in several areas throughout our community. The stormwater utility will be dedicated to infrastructure repair and upgrades, so that we can collect and remove the significant volume of water that we are experiencing.
The utility fee will first appear on property owner’s sewer bills this spring, and will be based on a fair and equitable approximation of the proportionate contribution of stormwater runoff from each property. Initial estimations concluded that 61% of residential property owners will pay roughly $70 per year; and 21% of residential property owners will pay roughly $35 per year. This new utility will generate annual funding to better manage stormwater, control flooding, and protect the environment.
For more information, visit our dedicated Stormwater Utility landing page, where you can read the full ordinance; review the newly-released Credit & Adjustment Policy Manual; and view links to the Township Committee meetings that helped shape the utility.
