City of  Cape May

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Contact Person:  David A. Carrick: Superintendent of Water and Sewer utility

Phone Number:  (609) 884-9575

The City completed the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water treatment Facility in 1998. The treatment of removing salt from our water wells to produce potable drinking water to our customers and surrounding neighbors has been a very successful endeavor. We are the first facility in our State and surrounding region to do this for our customers.

In the Administrative office, which is located on the second floor in City Hall, we handle all communications that our customers might have. James Wolfe handles questions about water/sewer bills, meters, water consumption, water pressure and anything related to water meters. The City of Cape May has over 3,500 water accounts. Water and sewer payments are paid at the tax office.

Mr. Carl Behrens, Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator/Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the RO plant. He also handles water quality questions our customers might have.  Our Water Distribution, Metering and Sewer Collection has a crew of four (4) employees. 

BILLING

Water and sewer bills are sent out four (4) times a year and are paid to Tax Department. Our four billing periods are as follows:

• 1^st Period: Jan 1^st. through March 31^st.
• 2^nd Period: April 1^st through July 15^th (Peak)
• 3^rd Period: July 16^th through October 31^st (Peak)
• 4^th Period: November 1^st through December 31^st

Our purpose at the Water/Sewer Utility is to provide the best quality water in the most efficient manner to our customers. We also desire to provide the most courteous service for our customers when they contact our staff concerning questions or problems they may have.

The City of Cape May Water/Sewer Utility requests that each customer become aware of The City’s "Required Water Conservation Ordinance" No. 1025-94. The primary components of this ordinance are as follow:

Watering Restrictions:

1. Outdoor watering of lawns, plants and gardens is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. from May 15 through September 15.

A. Watering shall be permitted before 10:00A.M. and after 6:00P.M. West of Madison Avenue on odd numbered days. 
B. Watering shall be permitted before 10:00A.M. and after 6:00P.M East of Madison Avenue on even numbered days.

2. No outdoor watering shall be permitted at any time on Saturdays, Sundays, or Federal Holidays from May 15 through September 15.

3. No car washing shall be permitted at any time on Saturdays, Sundays or Federal Holidays from May 15 through September 15. 

4. Washing of sidewalks and driveways by hose is prohibited except in emergencies or circumstances approved in advance by the Superintendent. 

5. All automatic irrigation or sprinkler systems shall have rain sensor devices or switches to override the automatic irrigation or sprinkler cycle when adequate rainfall has occurred. Any system without a rain sensor device is in violation. 

6. Automatic shut-off nozzles shall be used on hoses for all washing outdoors (vehicles, boats, windows, etc.).

            Morning is the best to water most lawns areas…
and the earlier the better.

As the sun rises so does the mercury. After about 10a.m. heat steals moisture from your lawn through evaporation. When you water EARLY, you can water LESS because more of the water is
absorbed into your lawn. You save time and money when you water at daybreak.

Don’t drizzle

A light sprinkling is the LEAST EFFECTIVE method of watering. In fact, it can damage your lawn. A good soaking gets to the "root" of the problem by encouraging deep, solid root growth. Lawns without deep root growth are less drought resistant and more prone to winter kill.

Watering during the heat of the day can actually harm your lawn.

"Scald" or "burn" damage occurs when hot sunlight hits water droplets that cling to leaves. The tiny droplets imitate powerful, miniature magnifying glasses.

At night, cool, moist conditions create an ideal environment for lawn disease to  develop. Grass blades watered in the morning dry off quickly, making it harder for disease habitat to flourish. 

Water ONLY when your Lawn needs it.

You don’t have to water on a set schedule. Water only when the grass or plants show signs of needing it. To test whether or not your lawn needs a soaking, step on the grass. If it springs back up, you don’t need to water. If it stays flat, it’s time to water again. In the morning. The earlier the better.

THE PROBLEM IS THE TAP IS FLOWING TOO FREELY!
Some Water Statistics

• Taking a shower (5 gallons per minute) 30-50 gal

• Flushing the toilet (once) 4-7 gallons for conventional, 1.6 gallons for low flow
• Brushing teeth 1 gallons
• Washing clothes 30-50 gallons
• Washing dishes with dishwasher - 16 gallons, washing by hand - 25 gallons
• Washing the car 5-8 gallons per minute
• Lawn sprinkler (2 hrs) 660 gallons

· 75 % flows through the bathroom
· 20 % in the kitchen and laundry
· 5 % in cooking and drinking

ü Small changes can mean big reductions in water use, and energy costs

Bathroom Water Saving Tips

1. Install low flow showerheads.
2. Take shorter showers.
3. Showers use less water and energy than tub baths.
4. Check your toilet for leaks. Put a little food coloring in the toilet tank and let it sit for 30 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.
5. Consider refitting high volume toilets with low water use toilets (1.6gal). The money you save on water/sewer bills will quickly pay for itself.
6. Toilet dams made of plastic will reduce the amount of water used in each flush.
7. Don’t let the water run while shaving, lathering face or hands, brushing your teeth.

SUMMARY OF RATES AND TERMS FOR YEAR 2007
                                (per 1,000 gallons)

FACILITY RATES

In addition to the normal water consumption rate, a facility charge is also added to your bill. This charge is based upon your meter size. Rates are shown below.

Example of Regular water and sewer bill and Peak period bills.

Example assumes that the customer used 9,650 gallons during billing period. Consumption gets rounded to 10,000 gallons. Customer has 0.75-inch meter.  

      Regular billing period: 

10 X $2.63 = $26.30 - water consumption
10 X $3.50 = $35.00 - sewer consumption 
$11.00 = facility charge water 
$15.00 = facility charge sewer 
$87.30 = total water/sewer bill 

        Peak billing period:

10 X $7.46 = $74.60 - water consumption
10 X $11.75 = $117.50 - sewer consumption
$11.00  = facility charge water
$15.00  = facility charge sewer
$218.10 = total water/sewer bill 

Delinquent Notices: $ 5.00
Special Meter Reading: $25.00
Shut-off: $25.00
Turn-on: $50.00 **

** Turn-on fee is ten percent (10%) of the unpaid principal water and sewer charges due, but not less than $50.00.

Late payment interest: Payments received after the stated due date on the bill will be assessed interest at the rate of 8% per annum on the first $1,500.00 of delinquency and 18% on all amounts in excess of $1,500.00.

PWS ID# NJ0502001

Quality on Tap Report

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

The City of Cape May Water Department For the Year 2008, Results from the Year 2007 

We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. 

Our water source: We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.  Our water source is wells.  Our five wells draw groundwater from the Cohansey Aquifer and the Atlantic City 800 Foot Sands.  The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has completed and issued the Source Water Assessment Report and Summary for this public water system, which is available at WWW.state.nj.us/dep/swap or by contacting NJDEP’s Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at (609) 292-5550.  You may also contact your public water system to obtain information regarding your water system’s Source Water Assessment.  This Cape May City’s water system’s source water susceptibility ratings and a list of potential contaminant sources is attached. 

Vulnerable populations: Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).  

The City of Cape May Water Department routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1^st to December 31^st, 2007.  The state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.  Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.

For additional Information: If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact David A.Carrick at 609-884-9575.  We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled City Council meetings at City Hall, 643 Washington Street.  Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.  The first Tuesday’s meeting is at 1:00 pm and the third Tuesday meeting is at 7:00 pm.  You can also visit our web-site at: www.CapeMayCity.com

 Potential sources of contamination: The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

              Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

·          Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

·          Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas projection, mining, or farming.

·          Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

·          Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

·          Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. 

DEFINITIONS

In the following table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Maximum Contaminant Level - The "Maximum Allowed" (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal -The "Goal"(MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

 Maximum Residual Disinfectant Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant, below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination

Waivers: The Safe Drinking Water Act regulations allow monitoring waivers to reduce or eliminate the monitoring requirements for asbestos, volatile organic chemicals and synthetic organic chemicals. Our system received monitoring waivers for all of these types of contaminants.

 Water Quality: To ensure the continued quality of our water we use a reverse osmosis process to protect against potentially harmful contaminants, lime for Ph adjustment and sodium hypo-chlorite for disinfection. 

We at Cape May City Water Department work hard to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future. Please call our office if you have questions.

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