48:19-18. Each water company organized under the laws of this State may sell and dispose of the water issuing from its reservoirs, aqueducts or pipes for such rates and pursuant to such terms and conditions as are in accordance with its approved tariffs on file with the Board of Public Utilities, provided, however, as follows:

No tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any standby fees or charges for any fire protection system to a residential customer served by a water service line of two inches or less in diameter. No tariff shall be approved that provides for or allows the imposition of any fees in excess of the cost of water actually used for any sprinkler system required to be installed in any residential health care facility pursuant to the “Health Care Facilities Planning Act,” P.L.1971, c.136 (C. 26:2H-1 et seq.) and regulations promulgated thereunder or in any rooming or boarding house pursuant to the “Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979,” P.L.1979, c.496 (C. 55:13B-1 et al.) and regulations promulgated thereunder. Nothing herein shall preclude any water company from charging for the actual cost of water main connection.

Nothing in this section shall preclude a water company from requiring separate dedicated service lines for fire protection. The water company may require that fire service lines be metered. Nothing in this section shall alter the liability for maintenance and repair of service lines which exists on the effective date of P.L.2003, c.278.

Amended 1962, c.198, s.194; 1981, c.514, s.1; 2003, c.278, s.8.