Newark Water & Sewer Connection Fees, NJ (2026)
Newark’s own Department of Water and Sewer Utilities supplies both water and sewer service inside the city — it is a city department, not a private company and not a separate regional authority like nearby Jersey City’s JCMUA. For a new single-family home taking one water connection and one sewer connection (one Equivalent Dwelling Unit, or EDU, on a standard 5/8-inch meter), the department’s published routine fees total $6,850.39: a $500 water application fee, a $500 sewer application fee, a $750 combined water/sewer inspection fee, a $3,016.24 water connection fee, a $1,784.15 sewer connection fee, and a $300 meter purchase. The most important caveat: Newark’s wastewater is treated by the regional Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC), which can levy its own separate one-time sewer connection charge — a $250 administrative fee plus an unpublished per-gallon “gallonage fee” — and neither agency’s website says plainly whether a single infill single-family connection triggers it, so confirm with PVSC before treating the city total above as final.
Official Newark fees in one table
The table below lists every Newark Department of Water and Sewer Utilities charge we verified from the city’s April 2024 connection-fee ordinances and its “Permits and Prices” page. The application and inspection fees are flat, charged once per project. The water and sewer connection fees are priced per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) — Newark defines 1 EDU as the estimated daily flow of an average single-family home, so a typical new house is 1 EDU regardless of how big it is — while the water meter itself is priced separately, by the physical meter size you install. PVSC’s separate regional sewer-connection charge is flagged “Confirm with utility” because its per-gallon rate is not published anywhere on its site.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General — Inspection | ||||||||
| General | Inspection | Water and/or Sewer Inspection Fee | — | $750 | per inspection | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Sewer — Connection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Connection | Sewer Connection Fee (New Connector, 1 EDU) | — | $1,784.15 | per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) | 2024-06-01 | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Sewer — Impact | ||||||||
| Sewer | Impact | PVSC Sewer Connection Fee (Administrative + Gallonage) | — | $250 | $250 admin fee + gallonage fee per projected gallons/day | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-30 |
| Sewer — Permit | ||||||||
| Sewer | Permit | Sewer Application & Admin Fee | — | $500 | per application | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Water — Connection | ||||||||
| Water | Connection | Water Connection Fee (New Connector, 1 EDU) | — | $3,016.24 | per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) | 2024-06-01 | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Water — Meter | ||||||||
| Water | Meter | Water Meter Purchase (1" meter) | 1" | $365 | per meter | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Water | Meter | Water Meter Purchase (5/8" meter) | 5/8" | $300 | per meter | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Water — Other | ||||||||
| Water | Other | Change of Contractor Fee | — | $500 | per change | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
| Water — Permit | ||||||||
| Water | Permit | Water Application & Admin Fee | — | $500 | per application | — | Official source | 2026-09-26 |
Worked example for a single-family home in Newark
Assumptions: a single-family home connecting to Newark’s water and sewer mains for the first time, drawing one water service and one sewer service (1 EDU), on the smallest standard meter Newark sells (5/8 inch).
Newark water and sewer connection charges, single-family home, 1 EDU, 5/8″ meter
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water Application & Admin Fee | $500.00 |
| Sewer Application & Admin Fee | $500.00 |
| Water and/or Sewer Inspection | $750.00 |
| Water Connection Fee (1 EDU) | $3,016.24 |
| Sewer Connection Fee (1 EDU) | $1,784.15 |
| Water Meter, 5/8″ | $300.00 |
| Total | $6,850.39 |
Unlike many cities, Newark’s connection fee itself does not change with meter size — it is set entirely by EDU count. Meter size only changes what you pay for the meter hardware. A homeowner who needs a 1-inch meter instead of 5/8-inch pays $365 instead of $300 for the meter, bringing the same project to $6,915.39 — just $65 more, not a different fee tier. Newark’s ordinances (6PSF-b for water, 6PSF-c for sewer, both adopted April 24, 2024) define 1 EDU as “the estimated average daily flow of water [or sewer] for the connector divided by the average daily flow of water for the average single family residence within the City,” which is why a standard house is priced at exactly 1 EDU; larger multi-family or commercial connections are billed at higher EDU counts on the same published schedule.
What Newark’s fees don’t cover
Newark’s connection fees cover the city’s review of your application, its inspection of the tap, the right to connect to the water and sewer mains, and the water meter itself. They do not cover the physical service line from the main to your house, excavation or street-opening work if the main is in the roadway, the City of Newark’s separate building/plumbing permit fees, or PVSC’s gallonage fee described above. National estimates (methodology):
- Water service line: $30–$150 per foot, typical $50.
- Sewer service line (lateral): $50–$250 per foot, typical $100.
- Street cut or bore (opening a paved street to reach the main): $1,000–$10,000 per crossing, typical $4,000.
- Plumbing permit (City of Newark, separate from the Water and Sewer Dept.): $100–$1,300, typical $300.
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when Newark fees are paid
Per Newark City Code §33:4-6(d) and §32:2-9(e), the water and sewer connection fees are due “before a building permit is issued for new construction … or a permit is requested for a new or enlarged connection” — in other words, up front, as a condition of getting your permit, not at meter set or at the end of the project. The homeowner or contractor must separately buy the water meter from the Department of Water and Sewer Utilities; the city asks that you call the Permit and Inspections Office at 973-733-3896 first to confirm the meter size you need is in stock. If a project changes licensed contractors partway through, Newark charges a $500 Change of Contractor fee. The Permit and Inspections Office is the starting point for all water and sewer permitting and can provide mapping of the existing infrastructure at your address.
Newark fee changes to watch
- The connection-fee rates on this page come from ordinances 6PSF-b (water) and 6PSF-c (sewer), adopted by Newark’s Municipal Council on April 24, 2024. This was a rate cut across the entire published schedule, not just for small connections — the 1-EDU water fee fell from a prior $5,519.12 to $3,016.24, the 1-EDU sewer fee fell from $2,075.17 to $1,784.15, and every other previously published tier (3 through 50 EDU) dropped by a comparable amount for both water and sewer; the ordinances also added a new 80-EDU tier that wasn’t on the prior schedule. There is no pending increase disclosed on the city’s site; water.newarknj.gov states these prices are confirmed current as of June 1, 2026.
- PVSC’s per-gallon sewer gallonage fee rose $0.09/gallon over the 2025 rate as of January 1, 2026, but PVSC has never published the underlying dollar-per-gallon figure, so we could not compute a PVSC dollar total for this page, and the totals above leave it out.
- We found no published PSE&G fee schedule for connecting new electric service to a single-family home in Newark, so no electric connection figure is included here; contact PSE&G directly for a site-specific quote.
Common questions about Newark fees
How much does it cost to connect water and sewer to a new home in Newark, NJ?
The City of Newark’s own routine fees for a new single-family home (1 EDU, 5/8-inch meter) total $6,850.39: a $500 water application fee, a $500 sewer application fee, a $750 inspection fee, a $3,016.24 water connection fee, a $1,784.15 sewer connection fee, and a $300 meter purchase. This does not include the private service line, street opening, or a possible separate PVSC sewer-treatment fee.
Who provides water and sewer service in Newark, NJ?
The City of Newark’s own Department of Water and Sewer Utilities — a city department, not a private company. Newark’s wastewater is then treated by the regional Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC), which can charge its own separate connection fee for some projects.
Does Newark charge its water and sewer connection fee by meter size or by EDU?
By Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU), not meter size. A standard single-family home is 1 EDU, priced at $3,016.24 for water and $1,784.15 for sewer under ordinances 6PSF-b and 6PSF-c (adopted April 24, 2024). The meter itself is priced separately, by size — $300 for the smallest, 5/8-inch meter.
Do I have to buy my own water meter in Newark?
Yes. Newark’s Department of Water and Sewer Utilities sells the meter directly — $300 for a 5/8-inch meter, $365 for 1 inch, up to $14,500 for a 10-inch meter — and asks that you call 973-733-3896 to confirm the size you need is in stock before buying.
Is there a separate PVSC sewer connection fee in Newark?
Possibly. PVSC, the regional agency that treats Newark’s wastewater, charges a $250 administrative fee plus a per-gallon “gallonage fee” for new or increased discharges into its system, but it does not publish the per-gallon dollar rate and its FAQ doesn’t specify whether a single new single-family home always triggers this review. Call PVSC’s Connections Unit at (973) 817-5706 to check before budgeting.
When do I actually pay Newark’s water and sewer connection fees?
Before your building permit is issued, or before a permit for a new or enlarged main connection is granted — the fees are a condition of getting the permit, per Newark City Code §33:4-6(d) and §32:2-9(e), not something paid later at meter installation.
What is Newark’s Change of Contractor fee?
A $500 charge if a water or sewer project switches licensed contractors partway through. It does not apply to a typical project that keeps the same contractor from application to completion.
Related guides for Newark
For another New Jersey city with a public utility authority pricing connections per EDU, see Jersey City water and sewer tap fees. For another older Northeastern city with an authority-based, per-unit connection charge, see Pittsburgh water and sewer tap fees.
tap fees by city · water tap fee · sewer tap fee · utility extension cost · water meter installation cost · utility connection cost calculator
Newark fee sources
- Permits and Prices, City of Newark Department of Water and Sewer Utilities. Checked Sep 26, 2026.
- Ordinance 6PSF-b: Water Connection Fee (Title XXXIII §33:4-6(d), adopted April 24, 2024), City of Newark Municipal Council. Checked Sep 26, 2026.
- Ordinance 6PSF-c: Sewer Connection Fee (Title XXXII §32:2-9(e), adopted April 24, 2024), City of Newark Municipal Council. Checked Sep 26, 2026.
- Connections (Sewer Connection Fee FAQ), Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners. Checked Sep 26, 2026.