Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) The construction and installation of plant and facilities of the utilities shall be in accordance with standard utility practice, shall comply with all applicable requirements of this chapter, and shall be conducted so as to enable the utility to provide safe, adequate and proper service.
(b) Each utility shall make reasonable efforts to protect its property from injury, vandalism or damage of any kind, and shall exercise due care to reduce hazards to which employees, customers, and the general public may be subjected by the utility's equipment and facilities.
(c) All public utilities shall cooperate to the greatest extent practicable to reduce or eliminate interference among the different utility systems.
(d) When an extension, as defined at N.J.A.C. 14:3-8.2, is constructed underground, the responsibility for construction of the portion of the extension located on the property to be served shall be as follows:
1. For an extension of gas service, the utility shall construct the entire extension;
2. For an extension of water or wastewater treatment service, the applicant for the extension shall construct the entire extension, except for the water meter and any of the following that are located on the roadside utility right-of-way of the property:
i. The shutoff valve;
ii. A fire hydrant; and/or
iii. Any piping, branches or other infrastructure that will serve properties other than the property of the applicant for an extension, either at the time of application or in the foreseeable future;
3. For an extension of wastewater service to a premise served by a water distribution system, the utility shall furnish and install a water meter on which to base the amount of usage for wastewater service;
4. For an extension of wastewater service to a premise that is served by a well, the utility shall make a reasonable effort to install a water meter on said well for purposes of determining wastewater service based on the premise's water consumption. However, if the utility determines that it is not feasible or practical to install a water meter on the well, the wastewater service billing shall be based upon a flat rate;
5. For an extension of telecommunications service, either the applicant or the utility shall construct the extension, at the applicant's discretion; and
6. For an extension of electric service, either the applicant or the utility shall construct the extension, at the applicant's discretion.
(e) If a person other than the utility or its designee constructs an extension in accordance with (d) above, the person shall construct the extension in accordance with the utility's standard specifications.
(f) Once an underground extension has been constructed, the ownership and maintenance of the portion of the extension that is located on the property to be served shall be as follows:
1. For an extension of gas service, the utility shall own and maintain the entire extension;
2. For an extension of water or wastewater treatment service, as defined at N.J.A.C. 14:9-1.2, the applicant for the extension shall own and maintain the entire extension, except that the utility shall own and maintain:
i. The water meter;
ii. Any portion of the extension that was installed prior to May 19, 2008, and which is owned and maintained by the utility as of May 19, 2008; and
iii. Any of the following that are located on the roadside utility right-of-way of the property:
(1) The shutoff valve;
(2) A fire hydrant, if the municipality agrees to add the hydrant to its inventory of public fire hydrants. If the municipality does not agree, the applicant remains the owner of the hydrant, responsible for paying the Board-approved tariff rates for private fire protection service to the utility;
(3) Any piping, branches, or other infrastructure that will serve structures or properties other than those of the applicant for an extension, either at the time of application or in the foreseeable future; and/or
(4) Corporation stop and curb stop, if feasible.
3. For an extension of telecommunications service, the utility shall own and maintain the extension up to the demarcation point; and
4. For an extension of electric service to a one- or two-family residence, the utility shall own and maintain the extension.
