East Brunswick Approves $250 Monthly Charge for Smart Water Meter Holdouts
Roughly 1,500 households still haven't swapped in the township's mandatory new water meters. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, waiting will cost them.
East Brunswick residents who refuse to have their water meter replaced by the township will face monthly fines beginning in January. (Source)
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Chris Howell | August 11, 2026
The East Brunswick Township Council voted unanimously on Monday night to fine property owners who don’t replace their old water meters, moving to close out an upgrade program that has stretched on for nearly four years.
Ordinance 26-22, adopted 5-0 at the Aug. 10 meeting, amends Chapter 218 of the township code to make participation in East Brunswick’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program mandatory. The program replaces old meters with ones that transmit readings remotely, so crews no longer have to visit each property to read them.
Responding to a resident’s question, Council President Dana Zimbicki said the township is down to roughly 1,500 households that still need new meters. Business Administrator Joseph Criscuolo told the council the township has swapped out more than 20,000 meters townshipwide, including at businesses. “We’re close,” Zimbicki said just before the vote.
The ordinance takes effect immediately, but the fine itself doesn’t start until Jan. 1, 2027. Property owners who haven’t scheduled or completed a meter swap by then face a $250-a-month “Incompatible Meter Service Charge” on their water bill, capped at $2,000 total. The replacement itself stays free. The charge only applies if an owner refuses to provide access after being notified.
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Before any charge is applied, the township must attempt a written notice by mail, a second notice by mail, email, phone, door hanger, or text, and a “Final Notice” to the property owner warning that charges will begin in 30 days. Owners can appeal a charge in writing to the business administrator within 20 days, though an appeal doesn’t automatically pause enforcement. The business administrator and the water utility director can also waive or suspend the charge for customers who demonstrate hardship or other circumstances beyond their control.
If an owner consistently refuses access, the township can seek a court order to enter the property and complete the work, then bill the owner for the costs. A separate $250 “Final Meter Reading/Billing Charge” also takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, for owners who sell a property before its meter has been replaced.
Resident Michael Delucia, who was the only member of the public to speak on the ordinance, questioned whether the township was punishing residents for the program’s shortcomings.
“This is your own citizens you’re attacking,” he told the council, describing an earlier experience in which a contractor replaced his meter but never reported the work to the township, leaving his account showing an unread meter.
Criscuolo said similar billing complaints have surfaced elsewhere, tied to accounts stuck on estimated readings for years, and said the township is trying to make scheduling easier with night, weekend, early-morning and late-afternoon appointments using its own staff. “This has gone out in other towns, and they’ve had similar problems when they got down to the last one to 2,000,” he said, telling the council he wants “to get this over the finish line.”
The township’s meter-replacement contractor, MeterTek Utility Services, can be reached at 1-800-717-0974 or metertek.net to schedule an installation. Residents with billing questions can call the East Brunswick Water Department at 732-390-6793.
The ordinance was introduced July 27 and adopted after Monday’s public hearing. Council members Dinesh Behal, Kevin McEvoy, James Wendell and Dana Winston all joined Zimbicki in voting yes.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.