To the Editor:
As concerned residents of Hopewell Borough and members of the Hopewell Borough Public Water Alliance, we write to express our deep concern over the Borough Council’s recent decision to move forward with a contract to sell our municipal water system to the private company New Jersey American Water.
Bringing our water system into compliance with DEP standards is indeed urgent – but privatization is not the only way to do this. Our water is a public good, not a commodity. Once we have sold this resource to New Jersey American Water we will never be able to get it back. New Jersey American Water is under no obligation to our community about the price or quality of our water; they are beholden to their shareholders to increase their profits year after year.
At the off-cycle Council meeting on March 20, the terms of this proposed sale were almost not even read aloud before the vote took place. The contract was not publicly available until after the meeting. To be clear: our Council did not plan to highlight the terms of the “DRAFT” agreement to sell our water to New Jersey American Water before casting a quick unanimous vote.
Last summer, in a matter of days, 230 Hopewell Borough residents signed a petition calling for a public referendum on this matter—a clear indication of the community’s desire for open and informed decision-making. Many residents have spoken out at public meetings voicing their concerns about the sale to New Jersey American Water.
A referendum on whether to sell our water is scheduled for November – but how can voters make an informed choice without being given a thorough understanding of the impact of this sale on the community in the long term, and without exploring viable alternatives?
We ask why the Council is focusing exclusively on selling the system to New Jersey American Water as a quick fix, rather than engaging with the broader range of funding options available at the private, state, and federal levels. The Borough already has an approved $2.35 million state grant —funding that may be forfeited if the system is sold. Other towns, like Rocky Hill, have successfully engaged professional grant writers to secure funding for infrastructure improvements. Why aren’t we pursuing similar paths?
By selling our water we lose local control of this vital resource, resulting in poorer quality water, guaranteed future rate hikes – and we surrender a vital asset that should remain in the hands of the public, not a private profit-seeking entity like New Jersey American Water.
The Hopewell Borough Public Water Alliance urges the Council to commit to a transparent process and thoroughly evaluate all options – and to present our community with multiple viable options. These options should include strategic use of grants, bonds, and financial planning. We are ready and willing to work with the Council to do so. Water belongs to all of us, not just those who can afford to pay for it.
Sincerely,
Members of Hopewell Borough Public Water Alliance
Hopewell, NJ
Sign up here to join the Alliance: https://bit.ly/signup-hopewellwater
