HOPEWELL, NJ – A petition against the sale of the municipality’s water system without a public vote has succeeded in delaying the planned privatization.
On August 5, residents submitted 222 signatures calling for a referendum before selling a water system after the council enacted the Water Infrastructure Protection Act (WIPA), a move that could allow permanent privatization without the public vote normally required.
“Privatization results in higher costs for water customers, so we are glad that Hopewell Borough will not be able to rush into a privatization deal due to flawed laws like WIPA,” said Charlie Kratovil, Central Jersey organizer with Food & Water Watch.
With just over six weeks to collect signatures for a forced vote, residents quickly organized and contacted Food & Water Watch to develop and distribute the petition.
“As a resident of Hopewell Borough, I was very concerned about the possibility of privatizing our water, our most valuable resource,” said GG Glazer, a volunteer with Food & Water Watch who helped collect and deliver the petition signatures. “With the help of Food & Water Watch, concerned residents have come together to give our community the opportunity to have a say in this decision and time to consider all possible alternatives.”
The delay gives the township time to apply for a $2.34 million grant to fund better treatment systems that will allow it to produce its own water instead of buying water from NJ American Water. The continued bulk purchase of water from NJ American Water has driven up costs for residents.
Although there was little time to collect the required 121 signatures, volunteers collected more than enough to put the issue on the ballot and the petition was deemed sufficient.
But the local government now admits that it would be legally impossible to hold a referendum on the issue in the upcoming general election, so the earliest the sale of a water system could be put to voters’ vote is in the November 2025 election.
“Every community has its own unique circumstances when it comes to its water system, and I am confident that our elected officials, working with our very informed and creative citizens, can find a way to keep our water system in our best interests,” Glazer said.
