Lakewood water and sewer bills are both higher in 2026. A pre-approved 5% water rate increase took effect this year under an 8-year schedule the MUA adopted in December 2023. Separately, the MUA adopted a new 2% sewer rate increase at a December 2, 2025 public hearing to cover higher charges from the Ocean County Utilities Authority (OCUA), which treats Lakewood’s sewage.
No members of the public spoke at the sewer rate hearing or the regular meeting where the 2026 budget was approved.
What changed
The water rate increase is part of an 8-year schedule the MUA adopted in December 2023. The schedule front-loads the largest increases in the early years:
| Year | Increase |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 10.5% |
| 2025 | 9.5% |
| 2026 | 5.0% |
| 2027-2031 | 2.5% per year |
Over the full eight years, water rates will rise approximately 44% cumulatively. The steepest increases — 10.5% and 9.5% — have already taken effect in 2024 and 2025.
The sewer rate increase is a pass-through from OCUA. As required by the hearing procedure, CFO Donald Sondak was sworn in and stated that the 2% increase was “required for the operation of the Authority.” The sewer rate was adopted by Resolution 25-92 with all seated commissioners voting yes except Commissioner Yocheved Miller, who abstained.
What the MUA is spending
The MUA approved a 2026 budget with $1.6 million more in revenue than 2025, a 10.2% increase. Operating expenses rose $900,000 (7.1%), driven by:
- $445,000 in salary increases (3% raises plus two new field positions)
- $411,000 from a 24% jump in healthcare premiums
- $200,000 for OCUA rate and usage increases
- $60,000 for water treatment chemicals
The authority plans roughly $20 million in capital spending for 2026, covering infrastructure up to 50 years old, the Pine Acres project, meter replacements, and capacity for new development at Cedar Bridge and along Route 70.
Why it matters
MUA connection fees — one-time charges paid when new development hooks into the water and sewer system — brought in $754,000 more than budgeted in 2025. At the same meeting, Senator Singer described significant ongoing development in the township, including projects at Cedar Bridge and along Route 70, as context for the authority’s capital spending plans.
The rate increases apply uniformly to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The MUA does not publish its detailed rate tables in its meeting minutes or legal advertisements. The full rate schedule is available for inspection at the MUA office at 390 New Hampshire Avenue during regular business hours.
What happens next
The MUA held a separate hearing on January 6, 2026 to adopt 2026 water and sewer connection fees, which are one-time charges for new development. According to the 2023 legal advertisement, water rates through 2031 were adopted as a single schedule, with increases of 2.5% annually from 2027 onward.
This article is based on official MUA meeting minutes and public hearing records. The specific dollar amounts on individual water and sewer bills depend on usage and meter size, which are set in a separate rate schedule not included in the meeting minutes.