Aqua New Jersey Switching Customers to Monthly Billing.

First Round of Monthly Bills Scheduled for July; Change Follows Installation of Radio Frequency Metering Technology

PHILLIPSBURG & BLACKWOOD, N.J. -- Aqua New Jersey, Inc. (Aqua) announced today that area customers will start seeing their water bills arrive monthly beginning early in July. The switch from quarterly billing comes as the result of Aqua completing the installation of radio frequency (RF) meters for all of its 30,000 customers in the Warren/Hunterdon and Camden/Gloucester County service areas.

About one third of Aqua's customers will get their first monthly bill in July. Depending on their last meter read, the remaining customers will get either their last quarterly bill or an interim bi-monthly bill. However, all Aqua customers will receive monthly bills by August. Aqua will begin mailing postcard to customers tomorrow informing them about the change.

"Monthly billing will help our customers track their water usage more closely, which increases their ability to conserve water, and identify and fix potential problems, such as leaks, more quickly," said Aqua President Bill Davis. "In addition, many people find that monthly water bills make budgeting more convenient, because they pay most of their other regular bills on a monthly basis."

With the RF meter devices now installed throughout its Northern and Southern divisions, Aqua will be able to collect meter readings more efficiently. "One of the biggest benefits of RF is that we no longer have to access the customer's property to read the water meter. These high-tech instruments allow us to read meters remotely from the curb," said Davis. "Further, using RF meters increases reading accuracy while eliminating the need for estimated bills."

Aqua provides water and wastewater services to more than 50,000 customers (approximately 150,000 residents) in nine New Jersey counties.