Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Bellmawr is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 11,262. Bellmawr was incorporated as a borough on March 23, 1926, from portions of the now-defunct Centre Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 21, 1926. The boroughs of Mount Ephraim, Runnemede and Lawnside were also created in the same two-day period. Bellmawr is home to the main post office for the area, one of the largest in the state of New Jersey. In late October 2001 the office was closed due to possible anthrax contamination. The office was re-opened several days later, in early November, after testing negative for anthrax.