Though “laudable” in purpose, an initiative by the de Blasio administration to give owners of one-, two- and three-family residences in New York City credits on their water bills was not legal, a state Supreme Court justice ruled.

Justice Carol Edmead ruled it was “unreasonable, arbitrary, capriious and an abuse of discretion” for the city’s Water Board to approve the $183 credits by, in essence, raising the rates of all other city water customers by 2.1 percent.