Affordability
Jersey Water Works cares about adequate and fair revenue to ensure proper operation and maintenance in a cost-effective, equitable manner that treats ratepayers fairly. Jersey Water Works aims to see that programs are authorized and established to ensure affordability and that stormwater utilities and stormwater fees are authorized statewide and widely implemented.
As noted in Assessing the Affordability of Water and Sewer Utility Costs in New Jersey: “Affordability is a topic often discussed but lacking an adequately rigorous definition. Affordability addresses the question of whether a household can afford to pay for specific necessities (i.e., fixed costs that are not discretionary without substantial loss of quality of life), not whether it is willing to pay. Public policy addresses issues of household affordability regarding housing, energy, medical care, food, education and many other purposes, including the focus of this report on water and sewer utilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others have recognized that thorough understanding of affordability must incorporate consideration of all necessary (i.e., non-discretionary) household costs. The problem is that affordability for any single cost category is inseparable from all other cost categories. Affordability in a correct sense involves a comparison of household income (including aid) to the costs of all necessary expenditures, including long-term costs such as retirement and unanticipated expenditures such as medical emergencies.”
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05/12/23May 2023 Committee Updates
In January 2023, the JWW committees decided on their annual work plans. Learn about the progress that has been made so far.READ ARTICLE#Affordability, #Climate Resilience, #Community Engagement and Partnerships, #Data, #Green Infrastructure/Stormwater Management, #Lead, #Smart CSO Control Plans, #Workforce -
04/13/23Act Now for Help With Water and Sewer Bills! Access NJ’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
NJ's Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) assists low- and medium-income eligible households that have difficulty paying their water and wastewater bills. In NJ, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is responsible for administering this program, which is funded through a federal grant.READ ARTICLE#AffordabilitySOURCE
Larry Levine, Natural Resources Defense Council -
02/22/23Comments on SFY24 Drinking Water and Clean Water Intended Use Plans
Jersey Water Works Asset Management and Finance Committee submitted comments to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The comments were sent to NJDEP on February 17.READ ARTICLE
#Affordability, #Drinking WaterSOURCE
Jersey Water Works Asset Management and Finance Committee -
12/21/22Key Points Made at Eighth Annual Jersey Water Works Conference
For a group of stakeholders from New Jersey and neighboring states, coming together is an essential part of finding solutions around water infrastructure and stormwater management. The Jersey Water Works (JWW) conference offers an opportunity for such connections to happen in person. This year marked eight years of JWW conferences and the first in-person conference since 2019.READ ARTICLE#Affordability, #Climate Resilience, #Community Engagement and Partnerships, #Paying for Water Infrastructure, #Smart CSO Control Plans, #WorkforceSOURCE
Paula Figueroa-Vega, Director of Jersey Water Works Collaborative -
12/07/22Jersey Water Works to Hold a Workshop on NJ’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program
"As part of their 2022 conference, Jersey Water Works will host a virtual session on the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which assists low-income households and families in paying water and wastewater bills."READ ARTICLE#AffordabilityOpen Insider NJ in a new tabSOURCE
Insider NJ
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11/14/17Developing a New Framework for Community Affordability of Clean Water Services
The Senate Appropriations Committee directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct an independent study to create a definition of, and framework for, community affordability of clean water. The findings and recommendations of this report aim to supplement current actions and to assist EPA in providing continued valuable guidance and support to communities as they ...LEARN MORE#Affordability,#Paying for Water Infrastructure -
02/09/17Presentations from Workshop: “Fostering Municipal and Utility Partnerships for Water Quality Management”
At the "Fostering Municipal and Utility Partnerships for Water Quality Management" Workshop on Feb. 7, 2017, audience members learned about new best practices that will help municipal governments, working in partnership with their utilities, conduct/implement water loss audits, utility asset management and green infrastructure planning and implementation. The workshop was presented in partnership with the Association of Environmental ...LEARN MORE#Affordability,#Community Engagement and Partnerships,#Data,#Drinking Water,#Green Infrastructure/Stormwater Management,#Lead,#Paying for Water Infrastructure,#Smart CSO Control Plans,#Wastewater,#Workforce -
12/20/16One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential Resource
This report from the U.S. Water Alliance makes a case for the One Water approach and highlights successful strategies and real-world examples in practice.LEARN MORE#Affordability,#Community Engagement and Partnerships,#Data,#Drinking Water,#Green Infrastructure/Stormwater Management,#Lead,#Paying for Water Infrastructure,#Smart CSO Control Plans,#Wastewater,#Workforce -
08/31/16Wasted: How to Fix America’s Sewers
This report highlights how low-income households are affected by the costs of fixing combined sewer overflows. It also recommends strategies to help cities pay for the federally mandated improvements to these systems.LEARN MORE#Affordability,#Smart CSO Control Plans,#Wastewater