Climate Resilience
Committee Goal: Utilities plan for climate change impacts and implement solutions that allow for continued operation during extreme weather events and reliability far into the future. Municipal and county governments employ various solutions to build resilience before, during, and after flood events to protect infrastructure, public health, and livelihoods.
See Jersey Water Works latest news on climate resilience.
Committee initiatives and work include:
We will not be convening the climate resilient committee in 2025. This committee will sunset, and work on climate resilience will be integrated into other committees.
- Curate information about resources and promising practices to promote via JWW newsletters, website, and committee meetings. This will include promoting the EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities Tool (CRWU) and regular “show and tell” committee agenda items.
- Review and develop comments on the Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) portion of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threat (NJ PACT) rules.
- Create or find a visual roadmap showing the continuum of least to most climate-resilient water utilities. Utilize that information to host a session for local government decision-makers focused on building climate resilience, linking to operational and capital needs, and showing a path toward funding for implementation. Potential avenues for the session include the JWW Membership Meeting or Annual Conference, the League of Municipalities Conference, the ANJEC Environmental Congress, and/or RPA’s annual conference.
- Explore the interest for existing programs (like GI champions, Green Teams, and Environmental Commissioners) to create climate resilience champions. Create guidance to establish climate resilience champions.
- Build a visual roadmap showing the continuum of least to most resilient water utilities regarding flooding. Conduct utility interviews to inform the product.
- Collaborate with the Green Infrastructure Committee to host a session for local government decision-makers focused on building climate resilience, utilizing the roadmap item, linking to operational and capital needs, and showing a path towards funding for implementation.
- Gather input across the collaborative, especially from water utilities, on the Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) portion of the NJ PACT rules once they are released and submit recommendations during the public comment period.
- Host an information session for utility staff and local government decision-makers that will include case studies featuring the successful use of federal or state funds on climate resilience projects.
- Create a proposal for a visual roadmap showing the continuum from least to most resilient water utilities, as well as on-ramps for each phase, and explore opportunities for funding to build it out.
- Gather input across the collaborative, especially from water utilities, on the NJ PACT rules after they are released and submit recommendations during the public comment period.
- Promoted the EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) and Roadmap to a Secure and Resilient Water and Wastewater Sector in various ways, including a meeting with CRWU EPA staff.
- Submitted comments on the Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) portion of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threat (NJ PACT) rules with the GI committee.
- Submitted comments on NJDEP Strategic Climate Action Plan with the GI committee.
- Advanced on developing a roadmap for drinking water and wastewater utilities that have yet to or are just beginning to build resilience against the impacts of climate change.
- Promoted climate resilience funding availability via emails, meetings, and newsletters.
- Convened members to determine the scope, short- and long-term goals, and work plan items in this new committee.
- Prepared a rough outline for a resilient utility roadmap resource that will include flooding resilience and be shared with public drinking water and wastewater utilities.
- Organized a JWW Conference session focused on how New Jersey has developed a process to identify climate impacts; how municipalities can best advocate for their most vulnerable residents; and how the state, municipalities, and utilities can work together to maximize federal funding support to resiliency assessments and implement projects.
- Reviewed the draft Inland Flood Protection rule as part of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJ PACT) rules and submitted comments to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
10 Results Found
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10/06/25Comments on Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule Notice of Substantial Change (NoSC)- Submitted on behalf of the Green Infrastructure Committee
Comments on Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule Notice of Substantial Change (NoSC) Submitted on behalf of the Jersey Water Works Green Infrastructure Committee on September 19, 2025 INTRODUCTION: Jersey Water Works (JWW) is a collaborative effort of many diverse organizations and individuals who embrace the common purpose of transforming New Jersey’s outdated water infrastructure by investing in sustainable, cost-effective ...LEARN MORE#Climate Resilience,#Green Infrastructure/Stormwater ManagementPRODUCT OF
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11/07/24Jersey Water Works Comments Comments on Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule Proposal
On November 7, 2024, the Jersey Water Works Works Climate Resilience Committee and Green Infrastructure Committee submitted comments on Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule Proposal.LEARN MORE#Climate Resilience,#Green Infrastructure/Stormwater ManagementPRODUCT OF
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05/09/24Roadmap to a Secure and Resilient Water and Wastewater Sector: A Resource from the Environmental Protection Agency
Photo Courtesy of Canva The Climate Resilience Committee aims to support utilities and municipalities by sharing resources. The goal is for utilities to plan for climate change impacts and implement solutions that allow for continued operation during extreme weather events and reliability far into the future. Municipal and county governments employ various solutions to build resilience before, during, and after flood events to protect ...LEARN MORE#Climate ResiliencePRODUCT OF
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05/02/24Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) A Resource from the Environmental Protection Agency
The Climate Resilience Committee aims to support utilities and municipalities by sharing resources. The goal is for utilities to plan for climate change impacts and implement solutions that allow for continued operation during extreme weather events and reliability far into the future. Municipal and county governments employ various solutions to build resilience before, during, and after flood events to protect infrastructure, public health, and ...LEARN MORE#Climate ResiliencePRODUCT OF
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10/19/23Jersey Water Works Comments on the NJDEP Strategic Climate Action Plan
The Jersey Water Works Climate Resilience Committee and Green Infrastructure Committee submitted comments to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Strategic Climate Action Plan on October 19, 2023.LEARN MORE#Climate Resilience,#Green Infrastructure/Stormwater ManagementPRODUCT OF
Co-Chairs
Russ Dudley
Patricia Lindsay Harvey*
*Member of the Jersey Water Works Steering Committee
Backbone Staff
Zeke Weston