Infrastructure Bill Delivers $169M In Water Funds For New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey will get nearly $169 million in federal funding to help the state upgrade its water infrastructure, courtesy of a historic, $1.2 trillion infrastructure package.

On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that New Jersey will get $168,949,000 in special funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill – which every single New Jersey Congress member voted for – was signed by President Joe Biden in November.

Other funds from the act will pay to repair roads, bridges and tunnels, and help build the long-awaited Gateway Tunnel between New Jersey and New York.

• See related article: Here's What NJ Will Get From $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

EPA officials said the funds – which will be provided through the agency’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs – will boost America’s aging water infrastructure and fight drinking water contamination.

For more information, including state-by-state allocation of 2022 funding, click here.

According to a statement from the agency:

“The EPA will allocate $7.4 billion to states, tribes and territories for 2022, with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The 2022 allocation is the first of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated SRF funding that states will receive through the bipartisan infrastructure law.”

EPA administrator Michael Regan sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, encouraging New Jersey to use the money to address “disproportionate environmental burdens” in historically underserved communities across the state.

“As leaders, we must seize this moment,” Regan urged. “Billions of dollars are about to start flowing to states, and it is critical that the EPA partners with states, tribes and territories to ensure the benefits of these investments are delivered in the most equitable way.”

• See related article: Newark Isn't Only NJ City At Risk Of Lead Water, Map Shows

NEW JERSEY, LEAD AND DRINKING WATER

In July, Murphy signed a package of bills that will drastically change how New Jersey deals with the threat of lead poisoning in its drinking supply, which can be especially dangerous for kids, pregnant women and other vulnerable populations.

One of the new laws, A-5343/S-3398, will require hundreds of community water systems in New Jersey to replace their lead service lines within 10 years.

A second bill, A5407/S3459, will remove restrictions on special assessments and bond issuances for lead service line replacements, giving towns and cities another way to finance the construction.

• See related article: New Jersey Is Replacing Its Lead Water Pipes – All Of Them

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