Requires certain notice prior to placing liens related to water utility service.

S4098

SENATE, No. 4098

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain notice prior to placing liens
related to water utility service.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning water utility service and supplementing
Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:�

���� �Municipal water utility�
means a municipal public utility, as that term is defined in N.J.S.40A:1-1,
that provides water service.

���� �Residential customer� means: �a
residential customer of record of a municipal water utility or a water public
utility; or any residential tenant of a residence where the owner of the
residence, and any other representative of the owner, as specified in the
property record filed with the office of the county recording officer, is a
non-residential customer of record of a municipal water utility or water public
utility.

���� �Water public utility� means a
public utility, as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13, that provides water
service.

���� b.��� Within 30 days of a
water meter failing to register, a municipal water utility or water public
utility shall provide written notice clearly identifying the status of the faulty
water meter through individual service or certified mail to:�

���� (1)�� the owner of the
residence;

���� (2)�� any representative of
the owner of the residence, as specified in the property record filed with the
office of the county recording officer; and

���� (3)�� each affected residential
customer.

���� c.���� A municipal water
utility or water public utility shall not place, sell, or enforce a lien on
real property for the unpaid balance of water charges related to the period in which
a water meter has failed to register unless written notice was provided pursuant
to subsection a. of this section.

���� d.��� A municipal water
utility or water public utility that violates the provisions of this section shall
be liable to a civil penalty of not less than $2,500 per violation, which shall
be collected by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in a summary
proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions
of the �Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,� P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits a municipal
water utility or a water public utility (collectively, �utility�) from placing,
selling, or enforcing a lien for the unpaid balance of water charges related to
a period during which a water meter has failed to register unless the utility
has met certain notice requirements under the bill.� Specifically, within 30
days of a water meter failing to register, the bill requires a utility to
provide written notice clearly identifying the status of the faulty water meter
through individual service or certified mail to: �(1) the owner of the
residence; (2) any representative of the owner of the residence, as specified
in the property record filed with the office of the county recording officer;
and (3) each affected residential customer. �A utility that violates the bill�s
provisions is to be subject to a minimum civil penalty of $2,500 per violation.