The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched development of a $1 billion investment plan for water infrastructure. Over the next three months, the DEP and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank will engage with a broad array of stakeholders to develop the Water Infrastructure Investment Plan (WIIP) parameters for the first of five years.
The WIIP will be fueled by new federal funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and continuing state appropriations. The funding will: 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 PFAS.
The DEP is kicking off the WIIP development effort with a series of stakeholder sessions that will gather input from interested parties on the broad goals of the plan. The sessions will help the DEP prioritize drinking water and clean water infrastructure projects to be funded through an initial investment of $169 million provided by U.S. EPA. Participants 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 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 on the New Jersey WIIP, click here.
