Mount Ephraim Water and Sewer Projects Remain in Regulatory Planning
New Jersey American Water’s March 27, 2026 filings identify proposed water and wastewater infrastructure work in Mount Ephraim Borough, Camden County, including a 3,637-foot water-main replacement on Washington Avenue, Grant Avenue, New Jersey Avenue and Golden Avenue.
The water project is listed with an estimated cost of $810,000 and an estimated in-service quarter of 2027Q4. Those figures come from NJAWC’s Distribution System Improvement Charge filing, a petition asking the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to approve a broader investment and recovery program. They do not establish a final construction schedule, road-closure plan or completion date.
What the 2026 filings say
Mount Ephraim is a borough in Camden County. NJAWC’s 2026 wastewater filing describes its Mount Ephraim Wastewater System as a municipality-wide collection system serving approximately 1,780 service connections.
The filing says the system is divided into three basins. Two basins are served by dedicated lift stations that pump wastewater to adjacent basins. The third flows directly to the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority’s regional sewer system.
NJAWC says the collection piping primarily consists of vitrified clay pipe. Its engineering assessment identifies significant inflow and infiltration concerns, particularly during prolonged wet periods. The company also says the two lift stations are well past their useful life and may require upgrades or replacement, with reliability described as questionable.
Those statements are NJAWC’s engineering assessment. They do not, by themselves, establish an emergency, a current service failure or a confirmed construction project.
Earlier BPU records list additional streets
The New Jersey BPU’s 2024 DSIC records list additional Mount Ephraim water-main replacement projects under NJAWC’s investment framework. The list includes East Kings Highway, West Kings Highway, 2nd and 3rd avenues, Lowell Avenue and Bell Road, Linden Avenue, Valley Road and Kings Highway, and Cleveland, Roosevelt and Jefferson avenues.
The 2024 water appendix lists proposed lengths from 800 feet on Linden Avenue to 4,000 feet on Cleveland, Roosevelt and Jefferson. Listed estimated costs range from $280,000 for Linden Avenue to $5 million for East Kings Highway. Other examples include West Kings Highway at 2,300 feet and $800,000; 2nd and 3rd avenues at 2,775 feet and $972,000; Lowell Avenue and Bell Road at 1,780 feet and $623,000; and Valley Road and Kings Highway at 2,400 feet and $840,000.
For those water projects, the 2024 DSIC appendix shows estimated in-service timing as “> 2026,” meaning the listed planning horizon extended beyond 2026. That notation is not a confirmed construction or completion date.
The separate 2024 wastewater records list a 1,000-foot Thompson/Rudderow sewer-main crossing project with an estimated cost of $1 million and an estimated in-service quarter of 2027Q4. The wastewater appendix also lists 2027Q4 for the Mount Ephraim projects involving 2nd and 3rd avenues, East and West Kings Highway, Linden Avenue, Lowell Avenue and Bell Road, Valley Road and Kings Highway, Cleveland/Roosevelt/Jefferson, and the Thompson/Rudderow crossing.
These 2024 records are prior investment-framework documents. They provide project estimates and planning categories, but they do not prove that every listed project is currently under construction, has been completed or will proceed without changes to scope, timing or cost.
Why the dates and costs are not final
NJAWC filed the 2026 water and wastewater documents as proposals subject to BPU review. The filings contain potential projects, estimated costs and projected in-service information. An estimated quarter such as 2027Q4 is not a confirmed start date or completion notice.
NJAWC’s wastewater petition seeks authorization for a Wastewater System Improvement Charge covering rehabilitation and replacement work during 2026 through 2029. The company says the proposed program could increase annual wastewater revenues in stages, subject to regulatory approval, but the filing does not establish a Mount Ephraim-specific customer charge.
The BPU’s June 10, 2026 order provides current context for NJAWC’s broader base-rate case. The order further suspended proposed rate revisions until October 16, 2026, unless the BPU acts sooner or issues another suspension. It concerns the rate proceeding and does not approve Mount Ephraim construction dates or project completion.
If projects are ultimately completed, placed in service and approved for recovery, their costs could affect future utility rates or regulatory charges. The current records do not establish a final Mount Ephraim bill impact.
What residents and businesses should watch for
Potential work on major streets and neighborhood roads could require coordination among NJAWC, Mount Ephraim officials and county agencies. Later notices would be needed to confirm construction timing, traffic controls, parking or driveway-access changes, contractors and any temporary service interruptions.
Residents and businesses should watch for follow-up notices from NJAWC, the BPU and the Borough of Mount Ephraim. The key unresolved questions are whether any listed project has changed scope, whether work has entered construction, what final designs and contractors are involved, and whether approved investment recovery will affect future utility charges.
Sources
- New Jersey American Water 2026 WSIC Foundational Filing
- New Jersey BPU 2024 DSIC Order and Appendix C
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