Tax & Water-Sewer – Keyport Online

Water & Sewer Utilities

Water/Sewer Bill Information

The Utility Collector bills and collects all water/sewer rents. Your water/sewer bill is calculated based on actual usage multiplied by the water and sewer rates set by the Mayor and Borough Council. The usage is calculated by having the Borough Meterman go out to each residence on a quarterly basis to obtain a reading and subtracting out the previous meter reading. The water rates are set under ordinance number 36-03. The sewer rate is set under ordinance 25-94.

The water rates are based on the size of your meter. Most residential houses have 5/8 inch meters.

Quarterly Minimum Water Rates
Meter Size	Water Allowance (in cubic feet)	Rates
5/8 inch	0 – 450	$52.60
3/4 inch	0 – 900	$101.20
1 inch	0 – 1,350	$153.50
1 ¼ inch	0 – 1,800	$206.00
1 ½ inch	0 – 2,250	$255.00
2 inch	0 – 4,500	$52.60
3 inch	0 – 6,750	$768.00
4 inch	0 – 9,000	$1,023.00
6 inch	0 – 18,000	$2,044.00
8 inch	0 – 27,000	$3,073.00

Consumption in excess of the water allowance is billed $32.50 per 1,000 cubic feet for the first 2,500 cubic feet and $28.75 per 1000 cubic feet for consumption over the 2,500.

The sewer portion of the water/sewer bill is calculated at 160% of the total water portion.

The due dates of the water/sewer bills are January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year.

The Borough of Keyport has a 10-day grace period. On the eleventh day interest is accrued going back to the original due date of the 1^st of the month. However, if the 10^th of the month falls on a weekend or Borough Holiday, you will have the next business day to pay without interest.

If interest is charged it is calculated at 8% per annum on the first $1,500.00 of delinquency and 18% per annum on any amount in excess of $1,500 to be calculated from the original due date of the quarterly tax until the date of actual payment. Payments received on delinquent accounts are applied in the following manner:

Any interest due
Oldest delinquency first
Subsequent delinquencies

Previous Balances on Water/Sewer Bills

When you receive your water/sewer bill, if there is a previous balance showing, this would mean your previous bill was not paid. If you paid your bill and there is a small previous balance showing that would mean we received your previous payment after the due date and grace period. Therefore, interest was deducted from your payment and a balance was left on your account. If you know your payment is going to be made after the grace period, or if there is a previous balance, please call our department so we can inform you of the amount of interest to include with your payment to bring your account current.

Water/Sewer Account Payments

When payments are made, please make your check payable to the Borough of Keyport. Please also include your account number on the check. If you pay through your online service please be sure to put the account information in the subject line.

If you would like a receipt:

When paying in person, please bring the top of the bill to be stamped paid.
When paying through the mail, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Water Meters and Meter Registers

A property’s inside water meter records all water usage and it is hooked to an outside antenna so entry to the property is not needed every quarter for billing purposes.

If you receive a water/sewer bill for the minimum charge ($136.76 for a 5/8 meter) or the consumption zero or lower than normal and you know you were using water during that time, this could indicate an issue with reading your meter. If you suspect a problem, please do not hesitate to call the water/sewer billing department at 732-739-3900 to have the Department of Public Works come out and check.

Water Service Termination Due to Delinquent Accounts

The termination of water/sewer service due to delinquent accounts is executed in the spring months. To avoid this unpleasant situation, please keep your account current.

On or before April 1 the Utility Collector will send out 30-day notice letters to any property owner (if the mailing address is out of town, a letter will also be sent in c/o Tenant) that has a delinquent water/sewer account balance of fifty ($50.00) dollars up to and including the January water/sewer bill. The letter will advise of the amount due, plus interest, the last date the Borough will accept personal checks and a final date of payment before termination will occur.

The Utility Collector, about 15-days after the initial mailing, will send out a second and final letter.

After the office closes on the final date listed in the letter the Utility Collector will compile a list of unpaid accounts and fax it to the Department of Public Works to start shut offs at 7:00 am the next business morning.

Once the list is faxed an on/off fee of $100 will be charged whether the service has been terminated or not since the date for payment has passed and the Department of Public Works is in the field doing shut-offs.

If service is terminated it shall not be restored until the delinquent amount, including the April billing, interest as set by New Jersey Statue, turn off fee (fifty dollars ($50)), turn on fee (fifty dollars ($50) and if applicable, meter pull fee (one hundred dollars ($100), is paid in full in cash, money order or certified bank check.

If any check, used to pay an account that has received a notice for termination, is returned by the bank for any reason, there will be no further notice. The Department of Public Works will be contacted to terminate service of said account. If service is terminated on any account it shall not be restored until the entire amount due on the account, any additional interest that may have accrued, turn off fee (fifty dollars ($50), turn on fee (fifty dollars ($50) and if applicable, meter pull fee (one hundred dollars ($100)), and a twenty ($20) return check charge as per N.J.S.A. 40:5-18c is paid in full, in cash, money order or certified bank check.

If any water account is turned up by anyone other than the Department of Public Works the Utility Collector will file charges with the Keyport Police Department for theft of service under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-8.

Changes to Water/Sewer Account

Please advise the Tax Office, in writing, if there are changes to your account. For example, new mailing address, sale of property, new tenants, etc.

Water Bills Involving Tenants

If you would like to have your tenants receive a copy of the water/sewer bill, please advise the Borough of Keyport in writing. Please be aware that since the Borough of Keyport supplies and bills for the water/sewer rents, they are considered a municipal charge and can make the property susceptible to tax sale.

Keeping Meters from Freezing

As per Borough Ordinance 14-1.12e, Property owners are responsible for damage to meters caused by freezing. During the winter months, please be sure your meter is insulated against the cold. Not only can it cause damage to the meter but if it breaks it can cause a flood in your home.

Steps to prevent frozen pipes/meters:

Insulate your pipes/meter
Keep you home above 55º
Turn off water before going away
Drain outdoor spigots each fall

If you go out of state for the winter months, you can have the Department of Public Works turn the water off at the curb and pull the meter. If this is done, then have a plumber blow out the pipes. This will prevent any damage while you are away. You can contact the Department of Public Works at 732-739-5428.

Moving?

If you are moving, please schedule to have a final reading of your water meter. Someone must be home because the Meterman must have access to the inside meter. When you schedule the reading, you must provide the Water/Sewer Billing Department with the date and time for the reading and the name and fax number of the closing attorney.

How Much Water Do You Use?

The average person uses from 80 to 200 gallons of water a day. To translate that into cubic feet you would divide by 7.5 which calculates to 11 to 27 cubic feet per day. For a billing quarter it equates to 990 to 2,430 cubic feet per person.

Typical Water Usages

Activity	Non-Conserving	Conserving Activities
Shower (5 minutes)	Regular Shower head 30 gallons / 4 cu. ft.	Low-flow shower head 15 gallons / 2 cu. ft.
Toilet Flushing	Conventional toilet 4-7 gallons per flush .53-.93 cu. ft. per flush	Ultra-low flush toilet 1.5 gallons per flush .2 cu. ft. per flush
Tub Bath	Full 20–50 gallons 2.66-6.66 cu. ft.	Minimal water level Less than 20 gallons Less than 2.66 cu. ft.
Shaving	Tap running 2 gallons or more .26 cu. ft.	Fill basin 1 gallon / .13 cu. ft.
Washing Hands/Face	Tap running 2 gallons or more .26 cu. ft.	Soap and rinse 1 gallon / .13 cu. ft.
Dishwashing	Tap running 30 gallons / 4 cu. ft.	Wash and rinse in sink 5 gallons / .66 cu. ft.
Automatic Dishwasher	Full Cycle 20 gallons / 2.66 cu. ft.	Short Cycle 11 gallons / 1.46 cu. ft.
Washing Machine	Full cycle, top water level 40 gallons / 5.33 cu. ft.	New efficient clothes washers 16-25 gallons / 2.13-3.33 cu. ft.

If you have internet access you can go the United States Geological Survey site and fill in the answers to calculate the amount of water used in your household per day. The site is http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html

Outside Water Usages

Category	Annual Water Usage Needs
Lawn	2.35 cubic feet per square foot
Other Landscaping	1.0 cubic foot per square foot
Swimming Pool (evaporation) *	2.35 cubic feet per square foot of surface area
*Without pool cover, 1 c.f.	One cubic foot or 7.5 gallons

What About Leaks?

An average of more than eight percent of residential water use is lost through leaking fixtures or pipes. You can check to see if you have any leaks by turning off all water fixtures both inside and outside the house and check the reading on your water meter. Wait one hour, making sure that no one uses water, then check the meter reading. If the meter number has increased you have a leak somewhere. You can also call to have the Keyport Department of Public Works come out and do a flow finder to check for leaks.

How much water is lost through leaks?

If the leak is 1/16” you can lose 655 gallons per day (87.33 cubic feet). Or you can count the number of drips from the leak per minute.

Leak Description	Water Loss
30 drops per minute	54 gallons per month (7.2 cubic feet)
60 drops per minute	113 gallons per month (15.06 cubic feet)
120 drops per minute	237 gallons per month (31.60 cubic feet)
½” stream of water	1,014 gallons per month (135.20 cubic feet)
1½” stream of water	2,202 gallons per month (293.60 cubic feet)

Faucet leaks are a constant distraction. They also can waste up to 20 gallons (2.7 cubic feet) of water per day.

Toilet leaks are a common and potentially large source of water loss. It can range from a small to a very large leak. A stuck or open flapper can translate to 200 gallons (27 cubic feet) of water per hour or 4,800 gallons (640 cubic feet) of water per day. In Keyport at the 5/8” rate a quarterly bill with a toilet leak would be $3,854. You can check for a leaky toilet by adding food dye to your toilet water tank and then don’t use it for a few hours. If the color becomes lighter you have a leak.

How Can We Save Water?

Repair water leaks immediately.
You can use cooking water, once cooled, to water plants.
Water plants and lawns only in the coldest times of day. This will cut down on the water lost to evaporation.
Use mulch around plants to lock moisture into the ground.
Turn faucets and showers on only when you need to rinse.
Get a low-flow shower head and toilet.
Stop using your toilet as a trash can for bugs, cigarettes, etc.
Don’t hose down concrete to clean it, use a broom.
Buy a nozzle for your hose so water won’t run unless you pull the handle of the nozzle.

Sources: How To Do Things.com, Aqua Managers, Inc., Maryland Department of the Environment, Cornerstones Municipal Utility District, Texas, United States Geological Survey, Newnan Utilities

Tax & Utility Collector

24-Hour Drop-Off Box

Located in the vestibule of the Municipal Building is a 24-hour drop box. The contents of the box are removed every work day by 10:00 AM. Interest on delinquent payments will be calculated to the date the payment is removed from the box. Any delinquent payments deposited after 10:00 AM will have interest to the next removal day. NO CASH payments should be placed in this box.

*** If you purchase a property in Keyport that has a Senior Citizen/Disabled Person/Surviving Spouse deduction, please be sure to have the previous owner sign a PD-5 (Post Tax Year Income Statement) at your closing. If the Tax Office does not receive this form the owner of the property, at the time the deduction is disallowed, is responsible to pay back the $250.00 deduction. If you have this form signed you will only be responsible to pay back a pro-rated amount, based on date of sale, instead of the entire $250.00. (N.J.S.A. 54:4-8:40 et seq.; L.1963, c.1972 as amended)

Property Tax Bill Information

The Tax Collector is responsible for preparing and issuing bills and collects all property taxes. Your tax bill is calculated based on the assessment of your property, which is set by the Tax Assessor on October 1st of the previous year and a tax rate applied to the assessment.

The tax rate is determined by the County Board of Taxation based on the information from the county, municipality, and school district on the amounts needed to be raised to cover each entity’s budget. In the Borough of Keyport, your tax bill also includes the county open space tax, municipal open space tax, and a business improvement district tax on business and commercial properties.

Borough of Keyport Tax Rates – 2024
Description of Tax	Rate
County Tax	.178
County Open Space Tax	.026
Local School Tax	1.041
Local Purpose Tax	.765
Municipal Open Space Tax	.025
County Health Tax	.004
Municipal Library Tax	.031
TOTAL TAX RATE	2.070

Business Improvement District Tax Rate: .064 Total Tax Business Improvement District Rate: 2.134

The Borough of Keyport is a calendar year municipality, which means the year runs the same as the calendar. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:4-66, taxes for municipalities operating under the calendar year are due as follows:

First Quarter – February 1
Second Quarter – May 1
Third Quarter – August 1
Fourth Quarter – November 1

The Borough of Keyport provides a 10-day grace period. On the eleventh day, interest is accrued going back to the original due date of the 1st of the month. However, if the 10th of the month falls on a weekend or Borough Holiday, you will have the next business day to pay without interest.

If interest is charged, it is calculated at 8% per annum on the first $1,500 of delinquency and 18% per annum on any amount in excess of $1,500, to be calculated from the original due date of the quarterly tax until the date of actual payment. Payments received on delinquent accounts are applied in the following manner:

Any interest due
Oldest delinquency first
Subsequent delinquencies

Tax bills are mailed out once per year in the month of July. The bill includes four payment stubs, with the first payment stub being Third (3rd) Quarter – due on August 1st.

The February and May payments for property taxes are estimated and equate to one-half of the previous year’s total bill. The August and November payments are based on the total taxes due for the year less the February and May payments to come up with a balance due for the year and then split into two quarterly payments.

Under New Jersey State law, failure to receive a tax bill does not exempt a property owner from payment of taxes. It is the property owner’s responsibility to make sure that the property taxes are paid when due. A bill is not necessary to make a payment. The Tax Office will be glad to give the owner the amount due over the phone. However, we ask that the block, lot, and qualifier (if any) be placed on the check.

When making a tax payment, all checks must be made payable to Borough of Keyport. The Tax Office does not accept post-dated checks. The official payment date is the date when the payment is received by the Tax Office, not the postmark date.

If the bills go out late for any reason, New Jersey State law (N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.3d) provides that third quarter property taxes shall not be subject to interest until the later of:

August 1; or,
the ten (10) day grace period, as authorized by a resolution of the governing body (N.J.S.A. 54:4-67); or
the twenty-fifth (25th) calendar day after the tax bills or estimated tax bills for the third quarter were mailed or otherwise delivered.

N.J.S.A. 54:4-66.4 provides that any payment received after the later of the above dates may be charged interest back to August 1st.

Please advise the Tax Office, in writing, if there are changes to your account. For example, new mailing address, mortgage company no longer responsible for paying taxes, refinances with a different mortgage company, etc.