From century-old water mains that break and flood streets to lead service lines that threaten public safety — every New Jersey town has a to-do list of water infrastructure projects. But how can small municipalities compete for the millions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding that’s now available?
Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection Friday formally announced a new effort called the New Jersey Technical Assistance Program, or NJ-TAP. “They have the expertise,” said East Newark Mayor Dina Grilo. “That’s what we need.” Her town is already participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s accelerated lead service line replacement program, and Grilo envisions NJ-TAP could help fix a problem with combined sewer stormwater overflows.
DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette explained, “Part of our job is to make sure that water systems are delivering clean water, so we have all their data. We know where there is more need than others, and we can identify from our records where folks seem to be struggling, who could use our help … so they can take advantage of millions of dollars in funding that is available.”
Five towns have already signed up. Towns can get help with enrollment in the program at the DEP website.
