Updated: 3 hours ago
By Richard D. Smith | September 4, 2025
Seeing the seating section of the borough council room much fuller than usual on August 2, Rocky Hill Mayor Bob Uhrik greeted the attendees and observed, “I think many of you are here about the municipal water bills.”
Much immediate head nodding among the citizens quickly confirmed the mayor’s surmise.
Considering the average quarterly water bill in town is about $200, many residents had a right to be concerned when their most recent invoices ranged from $800 to $900!
An old-fashioned Sensus Water meter for monitoring home water and commercial usage.
In opening this latest of the quarterly Saturday town hall meetings, Mayor Uhrik again emphasized that such gatherings are not formal borough working sessions. However, they are a valuable opportunity for the public to ask questions and discuss issues with elected officials.
There were certainly questions about water and sewer services and – especially billing for them.
A large part of the problem – resulting in some residents receiving $800 quarterly invoices – is the system the borough uses to read residents’ water usage.
First, many meters are not readily available to the meter reader. This led to the borough “estimating” the quarterly bill a little too often.
Many customers this quarter received super-sized bills in the mail — as the town reconciled the estimated water usage with the actual usage.
The installation of new, remotely-readable digital meters funded by a federal grant is scheduled to begin in September.
The current system is admittedly old-fashioned: a meter reader agent records information in a paper notebook, with billing calculations then made from it. The mayor and other borough officials admitted that the computer system handling the water/sewer data operates on a long-obsolete MS-DOS software system.
What if a property owner suspects a water main leak is inflating their bill? Officials confirmed it is possible to challenge readings if the customer believes they are inaccurate. (The borough clerk, who works in the borough offices on Wednesday afternoons, can be helpful with this process).
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There were related concerns about the nearby Montgomery Township sewage treatment plant from which strong and very unpleasant odors have been repeatedly issuing.
Mayor Uhrik said Montgomery is completing a major renovation of the facility. Keeping it open while also making the improvements has resulted in suboptimal operation. But the worst seems to be over now.
Traffic – of the heavy and speed limit-breaking variety – again prompted great discussion.
Councilman Jon Lee reported that Franklin Township police, who have been hired by the borough to enforce traffic laws, have been active in issuing speeding tickets.
In addition, the NJ State Police, the primary law enforcement department in Rocky Hill, have been active in monitoring large trucks passing through town, and stopping them for roadside inspections. If the trucks are found to be in violation of maintenance and weight requirements, they are taken off the road immediately. Councilman Lee reported that during one recent month’s work the troopers issued 39 tickets for such violations.
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Councilwoman Susan Bristol addressed problems with property owners in the historic district making major home renovations that violate existing borough regulations requiring that such modifications remain in keeping with the borough’s historic character.
She urged a policy of both education and enforcement in the historic district, further suggesting that as soon as new owners register to pay their property taxes they be given an information packet about this and other home-owning regulations and requirements.
