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Hawthorne officials outline water utility costs: PFAS treatment and mandated service‑line replacement drive rate increases
Summary
Mayor Lane and borough staff told the council the water utility budget will rise to cover PFAS treatment, periodic media replacement, and replacement of galvanized service lines; a $1 million water‑fund surplus payment is planned to reduce construction loan debt, and a 9% water rate increase was cited for 2025.
Borough officials told the council on April 2 that state mandates and capital work are increasing costs in the municipal water utility and contributing to higher rates for customers in 2025.
Mayor Lane said the water utility budget is just over $6.3 million and is self‑supporting through customer fees. The administration plans to use $1 million of water‑fund surplus to pay down part of a construction loan for a PFAS treatment system before the borough finalizes a permanent low‑interest loan through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.
"A major cost ... is for the periodic replacement of the media in the PFAS treatment facilities," Lane said, adding that media replacement will be a recurring expense. He said capital work imposed by the state and replacement of water service lines has caused the need for large rate increases, and he cited a 9% water‑rate increase in 2025.
The borough reported an ongoing mandated program to replace galvanized water service lines with copper; the program began in 2022 and will continue through later phases. A bond ordinance to appropriate money for phases 3 and 4 was adopted previously, the administration said, and no additional appropriation is required for this year's budget.
Engineer Joe Byrne reported on the galvanized service‑line replacement project, noting contractors are working on Diamond Bridge Avenue and that specific school service‑line replacements (Lincoln Middle School and St. Anthony School) require quotes and may use larger pipes and different pricing. Byrne said the Lafayette Streetscape phase 3 schedule remains under revision and that plans for the Hawthorne hockey‑rink improvements are awaiting Board of Education review prior to bid solicitation.
The borough also reported rehabilitation of water tanks funded previously; Peachtree water tank rehabilitation and repairs on two other metal tanks are expected to be completed by next fall/winter.
Where it matters: the water utility is funded by customer fees; the planned use of surplus and the 2025 rate increase were presented as part of the municipal budget discussion. The council introduced the municipal budget that incorporates these water‑utility assumptions; the public hearing and final adoption are set for May 7.
No formal vote specific to the water utility budget was taken separate from the municipal budget introduction.
