Water Policy Associate, the Watershed Institute 

Krystal Zuniga

AndreaSapal

Program Manager, Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers

Andrea Jovie Sapal

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Policy and Program Coordinator

Jessika Sherman

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Policy Coordinator

Zeke Weston

Gary-Brune

Policy Manager

Gary Brune

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Patricia Dunkak

DC headshot

Deandrah Cameron

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Kimberley Irby

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Director, Jersey Water Works Collaborative and Organizational Development

Paula Figueroa-Vega

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Community Outreach Manager

Mo Kinberg

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Program Coordinator

Alesha Vega – Levy

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Director of Collaborations & Organizational Equity

Jyoti Venketraman

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Campaign Coordinator

Rachel Bustamante

Program Officer

Alana Vega

Stephen Marks

National Director

Tom Neltnor

Assistant Professor

Siddhartha Roy

Senior Attorney, Environment

Corinne Bell

Michele Langa

Policy Director

Diane Schrauth

Program Manager

Heather Sorge

Donald Shields

Patricia Lindsay Harvey

Russ Dudley

Kendra Morris

P.E., CME

Jennifer A. Harris

Julia Cavalier

Stephanie Corso, CPC

Richard Calbi Jr. P.E., P.P.

Glenn Barnes

Scientist (retired)

Robert Tucker

Jim Nelson

Associate Professor of Practice for Water, Society and the Environment

Dan Van Abs

Director, Trenton Water Works (served until Sept. 13, 2019)

Shing-Fu Hsueh

Vice President of Operations

Tom Shroba

Executive Director

Doug O’Malley

Managing Director / Senior Fellow

Andy Kricun

State Director

Amy Goldsmith

Director

Laureen Boles

Kevin Whitney

Daniel J. Van Abs Ph.D., PP/FAICP

Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds

Bernadette M. Sohler

Chris Obropta

Bill Cesanek

Rosana Pedra Nobre

Lester Taylor

Christine Ballard

Kareen Adeem

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Larry Levine

dan-kennedy

Dan Kennedy

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Water Workforce Task Force

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<h3>GOAL: Pursue partnerships to advance water workforce development and career pathways. </h3>
Municipalities, utilities, and contractors increase the diversity of community members who participate and succeed in the water workforce sector. They invest in the next generation of water leaders and support the goal of retaining diverse talent in the water sector.
<h3>See Jersey Water Works latest news on <a href="https://www.jerseywaterworks.org/topics/workforce/latest-news/">water workforce</a>. </h3>

PFAS Committee

Climate Resilience

Asset Management and Finance Committee

Education and Outreach Committee

Green Infrastructure Committee

Combined Sewer Overflow Committee

Lead in Drinking Water Task Force

Data Advisory Committee

Jersey Water Works

Stormwater Utility Committee Meeting

Green Infrastructure Committee Meeting (Sept 17)

Native Plant Landscaping & Stormwater Solutions Certification (Wed, October 21, 6-8 pm (virtual);  Sat, October 24, 9 am – 4 pm (Ocean County College))

Native Plant Landscaping & Stormwater Solutions Certification (Wed, October 14, 6-8 pm (virtual) ; Sat, October 17, 9 am – 4 pm (The Watershed Institute))

NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) workshop series, From Capacity to Impact: Skill-Building Trainings to Collectively Strengthen our Estuary. (Oct date)

NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) workshop series, From Capacity to Impact: Skill-Building Trainings to Collectively Strengthen our Estuary. (Sept date)

Jersey Water Works Annual Conference! December 8th NJIT

NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) workshop series, From Capacity to Impact: Skill-Building Trainings to Collectively Strengthen our Estuary. (Aug – Oct dates)

Imagine a Day Without Water. What Would You Do?

Community Watershed Advocate Program  – the Watershed Institute (Sept 30 – Nov 4)

The 14th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum

2026 ANJEC Environmental Congress

June 8-Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Projects and Stormwater Utilities:

June 2-Stormwater Utilities Committee Meeting

May 27-Green Infrastructure In-Person Tour

New Jersey Sustainability Summit – May 15

Hackensack River Nation Summit – April 28

CTR Workshop on Translational Research and Technology Innovations for PFAS Decontaminations –  April 24

AEA One-Day Spring Conference & Wave Award Luncheon – April 23

AWWA NJ 2026 Annual Conference – March 17-20

Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Hill Day in Washington, DC – March 17th

The 9th Annual NJ Watershed Conference – February 26 & 27

Stormwater MS4 Permit: What, Why and How Webinar

Stormwater Utilities Subcommittee Meeting

Asset Management and Finance Committee Meeting

Launching a New Committee: PFAS and Emerging Contaminants 

2026 Green Infrastructure Champions Training Program

Debt Isn’t A Bad Word: Navigating Funding to Address PFAS in Drinking Water – Webinar #3

Green Infrastructure Committee Meeting: October 7th

Jersey Water Works Conference Annual Conference: Thurs., Dec 11

From Runoff to renewal: Rolling out a New Stormwater Utility in NJ Webinar

New Jersey Future 2025 Smart Growth Awards

Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS FOR NJ WATER SYSTEMS

June 4 – Green Infrastructure Tour at The Watershed Institute

June 11: Denver, CO: WaterNow Emerging Leader Awards Ceremony

Green Infrastructure Champions Conference – May 30

New Jersey Utilities Association’s (NJUA) 110th Annual Conference – May 28-29

June 17 Debt Isn’t A Bad Word 2nd Webinar: SFY26 IUP Deep Dive: Policy Updates, Affordability Criteria, and Debt Strategy for Local Governments

Stormwater Utility Subcommittee Meeting – Special Presentation & A Conversation about creating a Scorecard for Towns

April 15th Radio Broadcast in English and Spanish: Spring Cleaning: Lead Edition

Lead Service Line Replacement Virtual Office Hours for NJ Water Systems

City of Water Day

New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Three-Day Conference

Featured Articles

Jersey Water Works in the News

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message

annual-conference

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People in a Conference

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Get Involved

Donate

Affordability

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Data

Drinking Water

Green Infrastructure/Stormwater Management

Lead

Paying for Water Infrastructure

Smart CSO Control Plans

Wastewater

Workforce

Guides & Toolkits

Fact Sheets

Case Study

Work Plans

drains

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PFAS

Basic Information

Infographics & Presentations

Reports & Recommendations

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Launch a new committee to help articulate an action agenda for how New Jersey should address PFAS and Emerging Contaminants. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gather input and work draft a white paper that includes policy recommendations and planned actions and commitments from key stakeholders. </li>
</ol>

Advance workforce initiatives with New Jersey Future, Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), and Atlantic County Municipal Utilities Authority (ACMUA), via the Funder’s Network Partner for Place program, focusing on upskilling the existing workforce.

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Release the seventh version of the dashboard, including updating the lead resources pages, refining CSO metrics, adding a granular utility funding metric for systems where relevant, and providing easy access to information on 590 drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Design and create a CSO resource page within JWC that provides easy access to track the progress of CSO permittees in New Jersey.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Strengthen NJ’s Lead and Copper Rule by engaging in the open comment period.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Promote effective implementation and oversight of the lead disclosure law. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Recommend effective distribution of Securing our Children&#8217;s Future Bond Act Funds.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Promote filter-first policies in NJ Schools and childcare facilities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Promote lead service line efficiency measures for water systems that must replace lead service lines by 2031. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">⁠Convene the Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup: Facilitating guidance and best practices for New Jersey water systems.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Support Local Policy Work: Collaborate with Lead-Free NJ Community Hubs to inform and advance statewide implementation of lead service lines replacements.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">⁠Partner with the New Jersey Water Association to offer LSL workshop credits.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pursue proactive filter distribution for the medicaid population through the 1115 Waiver.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Assess the potential of creative financing options, such as a bond initiative or stormwater fee, and develop recommendations and resources to encourage municipalities and utilities to address generational equity. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Work with the Asset Management and Finance committee to articulate the long-term economic and societal benefits of major cost-effective projects, where cost-effectiveness is measured by costs relative to reduced CSOs and Combined Sewer System (CSS) backflows.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Support CSO municipalities and utilities in increasing visibility through education and social media campaigns. Emphasize the importance of upstream and downstream communities within the sewer system working together to address CSO flow issues.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li>Foster collaborative discussions to address 2026 Green Infrastructure challenges and opportunities. </li>
<li>Identify and share funding opportunities for green infrastructure projects. </li>
<li>Promote green infrastructure implementation best and promising strategies, as towns advance MS4 permits and related projects. </li>
</ol>
Note: The Watershed Institute is providing backbone support for the GI committee.

Asset Management &amp; Finance Committee 
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Explore research on shared services and regionalization, and identify potential funding sources and support opportunities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Review and comment on the SFY27 Clean Water and Drinking Water Intended Use Plans and other public comment opportunities aligned with committee goals. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Water Affordability: Continue collaborating with state partners to expand water affordability solutions and promote a coordinated statewide approach.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stormwater Utilities: Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities (facilitated by the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee)
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revise and distribute the Stormwater Utility presentation for members to use in local presentations.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">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.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Continue to increase awareness about careers in the water sector via communications strategies and connecting partners. Support Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Water Workforce initiative by connecting HCCC’s team to utility partners and identifying potential job opportunities for graduates through August. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Host one &#8220;Water Workforce Briefing&#8221; meeting to continue uplifting what is happening in New Jersey, what is working, and identify the gaps. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Publish a case study to highlight the Water Workforce Utility Program. </li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Release the sixth update of JWC metrics, including relevant data updates as needed.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Release short-form data story videos that educate the importance of water infrastructure, the costs involved, and success stories in infrastructure upgrades using JWC data in collaboration with JWW committees and other stakeholders.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">⁠Convening the Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup: Facilitating guidance and best practices for New Jersey water systems</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Supporting Local Policy Work: Collaborate with Lead-Free NJ Community Hubs to inform and advance statewide implementation of lead service line</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">⁠Supporting Clean Drinking Water: Ensuring safe water in schools and childcare facilities, elevating recommendations from the childcare report.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Partner with Jersey WaterCheck to update the lead resource page and publish a data report on the progress of LSL replacements in NJ.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Partner with the New Jersey Water Association to offer credits for LSL workshops.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Support Lead-Free NJ’s Advocacy Committee in enacting key legislative initiatives, such as disclosure of lead in drinking water at rental properties and lead-certified filters for Child Care Facilities (CCFs). </li>
</ol>

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.

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Work with NJDEP to ensure that the Jersey Water Works (JWW) “Smart CSO Control Plan” goals are reflected in the last two draft CSO permits, which include reviewing and developing comments for each regional permit. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Identify and engage with at least two wastewater utilities related to their work on CSOs to gain insight, and elevate utility-level best practices. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Collaborate and support Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers’ efforts around continued advocacy for the accelerated release of the final Long-Term Control Plans/five-year permits and monitor permit implementation progress.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Encourage NJDEP to require a CSO affordability analysis with and without typical SRF funding and stormwater fees with the goal of reducing timelines and increasing environmental and public health benefits. </li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Advance implementation of green infrastructure by highlighting local educational or volunteer opportunities and organize at least one in-person meeting/GI tour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Elevate two green infrastructure success story examples to showcase effective GI practices to inspire and educate others.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and retrofit guidance for municipalities.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Host at least three education events/meetings to enhance understanding of debt, shared services, collaboration, climate resilience, and SRF funding/application processes. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Promote best practices for innovative low-income discount programs to advance water affordability. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Review and comment on the FY 2025/FY 2026 Intended Use Plan and other public comment opportunities aligned with committee goals. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Encourage municipalities to consider creating stormwater utilities (facilitated by the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee)
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Organize a webinar highlighting case studies from municipalities on feasibility studies.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>

Under Former Community Engagement Committee
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Produce public participation materials for the new municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) permit.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop a strategic communications plan that identifies event-oriented social media campaigns and tools for committee members to use to engage stakeholders in water infrastructure issues.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide tools and resources needed by CSO permit holders to address public participation requirements.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Compile and share a collection of educational curricula about water infrastructure.</li>
</ol>

Under Former Municipal Outreach Committee
<ol class="li-mb-half">
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Continue outreach for Mayoral Proclamations and City Council Resolutions.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provide technical training for decision makers and their staff on water infrastructure and best management practices.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Build awareness of Jersey Water Works and water infrastructure through a strong presence at external events with a municipal audience.</li>
</ol>
Under Former Best Practices Committee
<ol class="li-mb-half">
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop two actions for the Sustainable Jersey certification program: asset management and a water loss audit.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Educate utilities about NJ A.I.M.S. and promote uptake through a presence at utility, municipal, and trade association conferences.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Launch a recognition program for utilities that adopt N.J.A.1.M.S. practices through partnerships with water infrastructure trade associations.</li>
</ol>
Under Former Community Engagement Committee
<ol class="li-mb-half">
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop and enhance educational materials and actions for community members and community-based organizations.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop a list of specific stakeholders in communities, targeting areas that are perceived to have fewer potential stakeholders. Develop and implement strategy for communicating with identified stakeholders.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop &#8220;universal&#8221; public participation materials for permittees that would outline best practices and checklist of potential stakeholders for outreach and supplemental teams.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create a network for green infrastructure Municipal Action Teams to share best practices and support and expand work.</li>
</ol>

Under Former Municipal Outreach Committee
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Support the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association Water Infrastructure Policy Committee in developing state policy recommendations on water infrastructure and announcing them at a fall event.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Partner with the New Jersey League of Municipalities and other Jersey Water Works members to provide an educational webinar series for municipal officials.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Encourage partners to host events and conferences that include water-related sessions and invite state and local officials to participate.</li>
</ol>
Under Former Best Practices Committee
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Examine the legal impediments to establishing water infrastructure ratepayer assistance programs in New Jersey and identify policy recommendations to overcome them.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Publish a report on “Cost Effective Investments for Water Infrastructure” and host an event to discuss implementation.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Host educational events that utilize the framework provided by the NJ AIMS Guide, including training on water loss audits.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Propose a completed Asset Management “action” for the Sustainable Jersey certification program.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Facilitate the development of a case study of the fiscal implications of asset management at Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">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.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Benchmark wastewater and water-supply utility emergency repair costs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Review and catalog existing state water-related household assistance programs.</li>
</ol>

ABOUT US

Water Workforce Task Force

Co-Chairs

Backbone Staff