Evesham MUA teams up with Mount Laurel to fight 20% New Jersey American Water rate hike

Evesham MUA teams up with Mount Laurel to fight 20% New Jersey American Water rate hikeDuring an emergency meeting, the Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority approved a shared services agreement to retain special counsel, aiming to challenge New Jersey American Water's proposed 20% rate increase before the Board of Public Utilities.

Evesham MUA unanimously approved Resolution 2026-73 to share special counsel services with Mount Laurel Township MUA.

The legal partnership aims to contest a proposed 20% rate increase from New Jersey American Water at the Board of Public Utilities.

Evesham has partnered with Mount Laurel twice in the past for similar challenges, historically succeeding in reducing proposed increases by half.

The Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority (EMUA) held an emergency meeting on June 12, 2026, to approve a joint legal strategy aimed at contesting a proposed rate increase by New Jersey American Water. The board unanimously passed Resolution 2026-73, authorizing a shared services agreement with the neighboring Mount Laurel Township MUA. Under the agreement, the two authorities will retain special counsel to challenge the private water utility's proposed rate hike before the state's Board of Public Utilities (BPU). During the meeting, an authority representative noted that New Jersey American Water is currently seeking a rate increase of approximately 20%. "We're hoping to get it knocked down to zero would be great, but anything better than 20% would be great," the representative stated. This marks the third time EMUA has partnered with Mount Laurel to push back against rate adjustments from New Jersey American Water. According to the board discussion, past joint efforts at the BPU have successfully reduced proposed rate hikes by half. The authority also indicated that it welcomes other municipalities to join the legal coalition to strengthen their position before the BPU.