TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced the launch of the state’s Water Infrastructure Investment Plan Jan. 20.
This innovative effort aims to better understand and resolve water infrastructure challenges plaguing New Jersey communities and utilities through short- and long-term investments that will create good-paying jobs while delivering safe, reliable drinking water, reducing flooding, and improving the quality of New Jersey’s waterways.
Over the next three months, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank) will engage with a broad array of stakeholders in developing the Water Infrastructure Investment Plan (WIIP) parameters for the first of a five-year period.
Direct engagement with communities and utilities about their water needs and challenges will enable DEP to set project priorities and establish the funding packages that will best support water system operators in upgrading drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state.
The WIIP will be fueled by new federal funding under the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and continuing state appropriations championed by Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature.
“This Water Infrastructure Investment Plan reaffirms our commitment to modernize New Jersey’s aging water infrastructure and deliver safe drinking water to our residents,” stated Gov. Phil Murphy. “This once-in-a-generation opportunity allows New Jerseyans to participate in the planning process to shape and better their communities through these investments. I am grateful for the work of President Biden and our Congressional delegation to ensure that New Jersey receives billions of dollars for these critical water infrastructure projects while advancing environmental justice.”
“My community’s way of life depends on efficient and effective water infrastructure,” stated U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2). “It is time for New Jersey and the United States to invest in critical infrastructure like water treatment and stormwater management systems. I will do everything I can to make sure we strengthen South Jersey through these investments.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the single largest investment in our nation’s water infrastructure ever, providing New Jersey with $169 million this year for drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. This is the first of five years of investment through the law.
Further supported by corollary state investments, these funds will spur construction of projects that better protect drinking water supplies, ensure the delivery of clean drinking water to all New Jersey communities, and reduce the risk of exposure to lead and synthetic chemicals that can impact the safety of our drinking water.
The funding will also improve our communities’ resilience in the face of increasing precipitation, extreme weather, and flooding by right-sizing stormwater infrastructure. The funding will also improve the quality of New Jersey’s lakes, rivers, and streams through upgrades to wastewater infrastructure, including long-deferred improvements to combined sewer overflow systems, the pollution from which disproportionately impacts underserved communities.”
This funding will support federal and state priorities to help communities replace lead-containing water service lines, reduce pollution of waterways from combined sewer systems, harden critical infrastructure to climate change, adapt and modernize stormwater management systems to a changing climate, improve wastewater treatment plants and their collection systems, and help public water suppliers to install treatment systems to address threats from emerging contaminants such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
The DEP is kicking off the WIIP development effort with a series of stakeholder sessions beginning Jan. 24 that will gather input from interested parties on the broad goals of WIIP.
The sessions will help the DEP develop criteria for prioritizing drinking water and clean water infrastructure projects to be funded through an initial investment of $169 million provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The process will culminate in the adoption of a WIIP for State Fiscal Year 2023/Federal Fiscal Year 2022.
For a series of introductory videos and other information, visit www.nj.gov/dep/wiip
The trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known more commonly as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was signed by President Biden on Nov. 15. This sweeping legislation provides federal funds to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, railroads, and water infrastructure while advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change – core principals of the Murphy Administration.
The DEP and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank) work closely on innovative funding programs that provide low-interest but high-impact options for local communities and utilities to meet their drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure needs. In Governor Murphy’s first term, the DEP/I-Bank program facilitated more than $2 billion in water infrastructure projects. This highly successful effort has made more than $7.6 billion in investments possible since 1987, saving ratepayers $2.76 billion in financing costs.
For 2022—the first of five allotments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – New Jersey will receive:
- $73.3 million for any eligible Clean Water State Revolving Fund project
- $30.6 million for any eligible Drinking Water State Revolving Fund project
- $48.3 million to address drinking water lead service line replacements
- $12.9 million to address contaminants of emerging concern, such as PFAS in drinking water
- $3.8 million to address contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater.
During the forthcoming engagement sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to share their water infrastructure needs and challenges and shape WIIP, criteria including project priority rankings, affordability criteria, funding packages, and project types that qualify for principal forgiveness. The sessions will also include discussions on the allocation of principal forgiveness and funding packages to address lead, PFAS, climate change, and sea-level rise.
The session schedule is as follows:
- Elected officials, including mayors and county officials, Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Register here
- Potential applicants, professional organizations and other agencies, Jan. 24, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Register Here
- Environmental Justice advocates, non-governmental organizations and interested members of the public, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Register Here
