A petition from concerned Hopewell Borough residents has delayed the potential sale of the Borough’s water system, according to a press announcement from the advocacy organization Food & Water Watch. On August 5, a group of residents submitted 222 signatures seeking a referendum before any sale proceeds, following the Borough Council’s invocation of the Water Infrastructure Protection Act (WIPA), which could allow for the sale without the public vote typically required.
“As a resident of Hopewell Borough, I was very concerned about the possibility of our water, our most precious resource, becoming privatized,” said G.G. Glazer, a Food & Water Watch volunteer who helped collect and deliver the petition signatures. “With the help of Food & Water Watch, concerned residents came together to give our community the chance to have a voice in this decision and the time to investigate any and all alternatives.”
According to Food.& Water Watch, the delay gives the Borough time to pursue a $2.34 million grant to fund better treatment systems to produce its own water instead of purchasing water from NJ American Water. The ongoing purchasing of bulk water from NJ American Water has driven up costs for residents.
With sufficient signatures to force the issue onto the ballot, the local government represented to Food & Water Watch that it would be statutorily impossible to hold the referendum in the upcoming general election. Food & Water Watch suggests that “the earliest that a water system sale could be put to voters would be the November 2025 election.”
For more on this issue, see MercerMe’s coverage:
- Hopewell Borough Explores Future of Aging Water System at Community Discussion
- Hopewell Borough Council Addresses Water System and Parking Dispute in Extended Session
- Hopewell Borough Council Discusses Water System Sale and Major Redevelopment Plans
- Hopewell Borough Council Considers Selling Water System
- HB Council Contemplates Selling Water System
