If it feels like the power’s been going out more often in Berkeley Heights, you’re not imagining things.

From schools to homes, businesses to traffic lights, outages have become a part of life here. And the most frustrating part? No one ever seems to explain why.

Just this month, over 1,000 residents lost electricity — including Mary Kay McMillin and Hughes Elementary. No warning. No update. Not even a vague response from the power company or our local officials.

Resident Michael LeBlond has been trying to get answers for months. He’s sent email after email to the Mayor and Council about the constant outages. He reports not getting a single reply.

This isn’t just a customer service issue — it’s a glimpse into what happens when basic services are in private hands and no one feels accountable. It should raise serious questions as the Township considers selling off something else essential to daily life: our sewer system.

Right now, when there’s a sewage backup or drainage problem in town, you can call the Township. You might not get instant action, but you’ll get someone. That “someone” probably lives here, goes to the same grocery store as you, has a kid in the same school.

But if our sewer system is privatized, that accountability disappears. Suddenly, you’re calling a hotline operated by a company based in another state. Maybe they’ll respond. Maybe they won’t. Either way, you’re no longer their neighbor — you’re just another account number.

And we’ve seen what happens when essential services are outsourced without strong oversight.

In Atlanta, GA, the city entered into a 20-year contract with United Water in 1999 to manage its water and sewer services. But after just four years — plagued by service delays, inadequate maintenance, and public complaints — the city terminated the contract early.

In Jefferson County, AL, mismanaged privatization deals to overhaul the sewer system ended in financial disaster. The resulting debt ballooned to $4 billion, triggering the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time. Residents saw their sewer rates triple over 15 years — with no meaningful improvements in service responsiveness.

These aren’t scare tactics. They’re cautionary tales.

Some cities have made privatization work, but only when the public stays involved. In Indianapolis, the city brought in a private operator to manage wastewater treatment. But it only succeeded because of strict performance contracts, city oversight, and public control over outcomes. It was not a full sale.

We could not find a credible example of a town completely handing over its sewer system and coming out better in the long run – especially when it comes to service responsiveness and accountability.

Berkeley Heights isn’t perfect, but when it comes to sewer and drainage problems, the Township has shown up. Maybe not as quickly as we’d all like, but the buck still stops locally – with people who live here and know that an ignored complaint could mean hearing about it at a Council Meeting or at the grocery store.

That all changes the moment you sell.

If we’ve learned anything from our experience with power outages, it’s this: once accountability disappears, good luck getting it back.

Before this sale moves forward, residents deserve more than a promise. We deserve a clear-eyed look at what we’re giving up – and who we’re giving it to.

Here are more questions Berkeley Heights and every community can ask before allowing their towns to sell it’s sewage systems:

• What exactly is being sold — the entire system, just operations, or infrastructure ownership?
• Will the buyer be required to meet specific performance or service-response standards?
• What protections are in place if the company underperforms or violates the contract?
• How will residents’ rates be affected — immediately and over the next 5–10 years?
• What protections are in place for current workers — including their salaries, benefits, and job security? How long will those protections last, and what happens to employee pensions that are close to vesting?
• Will the buyer be allowed to recoup the purchase price from ratepayers?
• Are any low-income, senior, or fixed-income protections included in the contract?
• Who will residents call when there’s a sewage backup or emergency?
• Will the buyer be required to hold regular public meetings or submit public reports?
• Once we sell, can we ever get the system back if things go wrong?
• Why can’t the Township make the same improvements while keeping public ownership?
• What happened in other towns that privatized their sewer systems?

The answers to these questions — and those raised in our earlier reporting — should be documented in writing and included on the referendum itself as binding conditions for any agreement the Township approves.

This cannot be a repeat of the CMS Turf-field referendum where efforts were heavy on marketing and light on detail.

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