Asset Management and Finance Committee

Asset Management & Finance Committee 

1. Pursue funding and conduct research to assess the feasibility of a wastewater accountability framework (similar to the Water Quality Accountability Act (WQAA)) and develop informed recommendations.
2. Leverage newly available water audit data captured under the WQAA to identify and promote best practices. Host a webinar to showcase high-performing utilities and their strategies.
3. Explore research on shared services and regionalization, and identify potential funding sources and support opportunities.
4. Host a meeting in July with the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to review the State Fiscal Year (SFY)26 project pipeline, discuss projects deferred to SFY27, assess remaining funds and oversubscription, and identify opportunities to advance projects awaiting funding.
5. Review and comment on the SFY27 Clean Water and Drinking Water Intended Use Plans and other public comment opportunities aligned with committee goals. 
6. Water Affordability: Continue collaborating with state partners to expand water affordability solutions and promote a coordinated statewide approach.
7. Stormwater Utilities: Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities (facilitated by the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee)
   • Revise and distribute the Stormwater Utility presentation for members to use in local presentations.
   • Engage with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)-funded communities to assess progress following feasibility study funding. Identify barriers and offer targeted support to advance SWU adoption in at least one more community.
   • Update the SWU resource center website to feature New Jersey case studies and promote them as best and promising practices for others to learn from.

1. Host at least three education events/meetings to enhance understanding of debt, shared services, collaboration, climate resilience, and SRF funding/application processes. 
2. Promote best practices for innovative low-income discount programs to advance water affordability. 
3. Review and comment on the FY 2025/FY 2026 Intended Use Plan and other public comment opportunities aligned with committee goals. 
4. Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities (facilitated by the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee)
   • Improve communication about stormwater utilities and promote available resources, including the “Stormwater Utilities Can Facilitate Green Infrastructure” paper, the SWU Resource Center, materials for CSO communities, and create a short informational video. 
   • Organize a webinar highlighting case studies from municipalities on feasibility studies.
   • Explore a regional approach for implementing stormwater utilities in New Jersey and assist utilities in defining stormwater management programs to meet community and regulatory needs.

1. Review and develop comments on the proposed State Revolving Fund Year 2023 (SRFY 25) Water Infrastructure Investment Plan, which supports the goal of “Effective and Financially Sustainable Systems”. This aims to ensure that operating budgets and capital investment are adequate and affordable, resulting in systems that operate efficiently and in a state of good repair (completed).
2. Educate legislative staff and decision makers about congressionally directed funding (CDF), formerly known as earmarks, by sharing information via letter, newsletters, and social media. 
3. Launch a research/study on the long-term benefits of investing in water infrastructure.
4. Host a webinar highlighting strategies to create equitable rate structures that address low-income affordability issues while providing financial benefits to the utility, recruit at least one utility, and include community voices. 
5. Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities (facilitated by the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee)
   1. Improve communications around Stormwater Utilities (SWUs).
      1. Issue a 2-4 minute Informational Video.
      2. Update the 2021 paper entitled “Stormwater Utilities Can Incentivize Green Infrastructure”.
      3. Explore existing or create new SWU resources for combined sewer overflow (CSO) communities.
      4. Promote the SWU Resource Center. 
   2. Support the exploration of a regional approach to operationalizing Stormwater Utilities in New Jersey. 

1. Advance water and wastewater affordability for low-income customers by:
   1. Raising awareness of the Low Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWAP) Program to increase participation.
   2. Promoting and sharing the findings of the study, A New Jersey Affordability Methodology and Assessment for Drinking Water and Sewer Utility Costs.
   3. Creating a resource guide for NJ water/wastewater systems to develop local affordability solutions, including in support of new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines under the Clean Water Act.
   4. Working with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to develop technical assistance and planning grants to seed innovative utility level affordability ideas in NJ.
2. Provide feedback on the NJDEP implementation of the Water Quality Accountability Act (WQAA) rules (to be issued in 2023). 
3. Expand information about all available funding dollars by developing an easy to understand factsheet. 
4. Submit comments on the proposed SRFY 24 Water Infrastructure Investment Plan. (This item has already been completed.)
5. Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities by: 
   1. Finalizing an educational video explaining the need for and benefits of a stormwater utility. 
   2. Providing technical assistance office hours through the stormwater utilities subcommittee meeting.

1. Advance water/wastewater affordability for low-income customers by:
   1. Developing recommendations on the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program to the Department of Community Affairs based on insights from utilities.
   2. Promote and share the findings of the study, A New Jersey Affordability Methodology and Assessment for Drinking Water and Sewer Utility Costs, with stakeholders.
2. Support the New Jersey Department of Protection (NJDEP) implementation of the Water Quality Accountability Act (WQAA) by providing feedback on reporting requirements, expanding outreach/sharing information, and exploring data connection to Jersey WaterCheck.
3. Submit comments on the proposed Water Infrastructure Investment Plan.
4. Create two products on stormwater utilities for use by localities:
   1. An educational video explaining the need for/benefits of a stormwater utility
   2. A model scope of work for a stormwater utility feasibility study.

1. Advance water/wastewater affordability for low-income customers by:
   • (a) Developing recommendations for an emergency assistance program in New Jersey, and work towards implementing a permanent program.
   • (b) Coordinating with the BPU water workgroup on its structure and outreach.
   • (c) Communicating, sharing, and using the consensus methodology report measuring affordability.
2. Develop guidance for drinking water utilities to complete lead service line inventories.
3. Develop and implement actions for the committee to increase the committee’s racial, gender, and sector diversity.
4. Coordinate with the CSO Committee on LTCP implementation and stormwater fee options for CSO communities.

1. Advance water and sewer affordability for low-income customers by:
   • (a) Producing recommendations to implement the white paper state policy options report released in 2019.
   • (b) Establishing a consensus methodology for measuring affordability issues, applying it to assess NJ communities, and publishing the findings.
   • (c) Work with the Combined Sewer Overflow committee to identify ways to address affordability in Long Term Control Plans and recommend them to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
2. Review and issue comments on state government proposals relating to water financing and asset management plans, including the Water Quality Accountability Act.
3. Work to increase the number of committee members and their racial and gender diversity.

1. Advance water and sewer affordability for low-income customers by:
   • (a) Finalizing and issuing a white paper with a menu of state policy options to ensure affordability.
   • (b) Establishing a consensus methodology for measuring affordability issues, using it to assess New Jersey communities, and issuing a report on the benchmark findings.
2. Issue a baseline assessment of drinking water utility capital investments in New Jersey.
3. Review and issue comments on state government proposals, including New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection guidance for stormwater utilities, efforts to require asset management for wastewater systems, and Water Quality Accountability Act recommendations.
4. Recommend, in partnership with industry groups, level-of-service goals for use with asset management programs.
5. Represent Jersey Water Works and promote its work at industry and partner conferences and workshops, in coordination with backbone staff.

1. Examine the legal impediments to establishing water infrastructure ratepayer assistance programs in New Jersey and identify policy recommendations to overcome them.
2. Publish a report on “Cost Effective Investments for Water Infrastructure” and host an event to discuss implementation.
3. Host educational events that utilize the framework provided by the NJ AIMS Guide, including training on water loss audits.
4. Propose a completed Asset Management “action” for the Sustainable Jersey certification program.

1. Publish case studies on the financial benefits of asset management for drinking water and wastewater utilities.
2. Assess the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust green infrastructure financing program to identify ways to improve applicant success at obtaining funding.
3. Publish a national survey of state-level initiatives to fund water infrastructure.

1. Facilitate the development of a case study of the fiscal implications of asset management at Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority.
2. Develop an on-line water infrastructure finance clearinghouse with references, resources and links to the following: grant/funding resources, innovative financing methods. alternative project delivery structures, New Jersey enabling statutes.
3. Assess NJEIT financed integrated green and green infrastructure stormwater management projects that feature successful designs and financing applications and highlight intervention points and advocacy efforts that can improve the financing process and ultimately increase the number of projects funded.
4. Benchmark wastewater and water-supply utility emergency repair costs.
5. Review and catalog existing state water-related household assistance programs.