Newark apartment tenants who were without water for days had their service restored on Friday.
According to Newark Water, the landlords of the affected building along Montclair Avenue - and more than 20 others in the city - owed them nearly $1 million since their last payment in October.
Newark Water says a substantial portion of that bill has now been paid, allowing the tap to be turned back on. However, issues between the landlord and the water company persist.
Data from the water company shows that the landlord in question - Boomers Management LLC - uses several different billing names while racking up bills in the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars at these properties.
Kareem Adeem, acting director of Newark Water, issued a statement on the shutdown - saying in part, “Water is not free. People have to pay their bills. … I know it’s terribly unfair to the tenants, but at some point these landlords leave us no choice but to shut off the water. It’s a drastic step but one that usually brings these landlords to the table with some type of good faith payment on the bill.”
Attempts by News12 and tenants to reach Boomers Management have been unsuccessful.