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In April, the Stormwater Utility Subcommittee reviewed summaries of twelve stormwater utility (dedicated user fee funding) feasibility studies funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) through their Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study Technical Assistance Program. Three of these projects resulted in the adoption of an active stormwater utility (Maplewood, New Brunswick, and Raritan Township in Hunterdon County). Dan Van Abs, a retired Rutgers University professor, highlighted key aspects of the reports as they explore fee-based stormwater management solutions. The studies covered a wide range of geographic areas, from mostly rural to fully urbanized. A key point is that the municipalities developed an impervious area based user fee structure and investigated diverse ways to use stormwater fees, from funding only capital projects to funding all municipal stormwater operations.

The Jersey Water Works Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup received an award from the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative.

The group was honored in the Policy Innovation and Leadership category for its leadership and significant contributions to advancing lead service line replacement.

National experts in water infrastructure convened in Washington, D.C. to celebrate and honor innovation and leadership in Lead Service Line Replacement Initiatives. New Jersey’s group, the Jersey Water Works Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup, received an award for its work in advancing Lead Service Line Replacement.

How do we know if New Jersey is making progress in transforming water infrastructure? Since 2013, Jersey Water Works has been convening multiple stakeholders across the water sector with the common purpose of transforming and upgrading the water infrastructure. To track progress and enable continuous learning, Jersey WaterCheck (JWC), the data dashboard Jersey Water Works, was created to highlight New Jersey’s water infrastructure needs and promote investment in related priorities.

The New Jersey Urban Mayors Association published the Spring 2026 Urban Mayors Press, which features the article, “New Jersey Can’t Wait 40 Years to Fix Sewage Overflows.” Co-written by the JWW CSO Committee and Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers campaign, the article provides combined sewer overflow municipalities and wastewater utilities with high-level recommendations to address generational equity issues.