The aid is being provided free of charge to participating water systems.
”New Jersey’s communities face many drinking water challenges, from lead to PFAS to aging pipes and older treatment plants,“ said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. ”Those challenges may for many practical reasons seem most daunting in the communities where the needs are the greatest. That’s why we are launching NJ-TAP to offer DEP’s resources and technical expertise to help water systems deliver on the promise of safe and reliable drinking water for everyone.
”Every resident in New Jersey deserves access to clean water and a healthy environment. Commissioner LaTourette’s NJ-Tap initiative that provides funding to communities for proper planning and design, will play a large part in helping achieve this goal,“ said David Zimmer, Executive Director of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank. ”The NJ Infrastructure Bank is pleased to assist the DEP in its endeavor because, together with the help and involvement of local officials, this goal becomes reality.“
NJ-TAP has three major avenues of assistance:
- Lead Assistance helps water systems comply with state law requiring them to develop service line inventories and create a replacement plan for lead service lines that are identified. This program will help systems apply for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan.
- General (non-lead) Assistance helps water systems with technical, managerial, and financial capacity evaluations; develop an Asset Management Plan; develop a Capital Improvement Plan; and assists systems in applying for DWSRF loans. Target systems in this category have PFAS issues and/or general state Safe Drinking Water Act compliance issues.
- Community Engagement and Outreach Assistance helps the DEP develop a toolbox of resources that systems and local governments can utilize for community outreach This assistance will also help water systems directly engage with their communities to encourage support for water infrastructure upgrades.
The first water systems to participate in NJ-TAP are Freehold Borough Water Department, the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority, Gloucester City Water Department, Westville Water Department, and Salem Water Department.
Depending on the individual system’s needs, participants receive assistance with lead service line inventories, replacement plans, asset management planning, and technical, managerial, and financial evaluations, among other services.
Water system representatives interested in participating in NJ-TAP should contact the NJDEP using the web form available at https://www.nj.gov/dep/wiip/request.html.
