VILLAS — The state is offering a 10-year, a zero interest loan for Lower Township residents to connect to the municipal water system.

Steve Sheftz, senior activist and former Lower Municipal Utilities Authority commissioner, said some residents were concerned how they would pay a $1,600 connection fee plus the cost of a plumber.
The loan is from the N.J. Housing and Mortgage Financing Agency (NJHMFA) and is exclusively for Lower Township residents, he said. The loan is for up to $10,000 for 10 years with a 1 percent service fee and no interest.

Sheftz said there is no requirement for a homeowner’s well to be tested to receive the loan. Residents living in a single-family home from the north end of Villas at Miami Avenue south to Englewood Avenue in Town Bank are eligible for the loan.

Applications are available at Township Hall and also from Lower MUA. Residents may also call NJHMFA: 1-800-654-6873. Sheftz said residents should specify they want the Lower Township application, which differs from other loans.

He thanked Jerry Keelan of NJHMFA, Mike DeMarcantonio of Lower MUA, the county Health Department and state Department of Environmental Protection for putting the loan together.
Keelan has volunteered to attend a special meeting with residents, said Sheftz.

Township Council unanimously passed an ordinance Feb. 18 requiring all residents to connect to the municipal water system when water mains are installed in their street.