Hello Folks !

I’m writing to you on behalf of SJC’s participation on the Jersey City Resiliency Planning Working Group (START) and as Partner in the Sewage Free Streets and Rivers Campaign, a statewide initiative spearheaded by NJ Future (we suggest you receive their newsletter updates !)

Right now, the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (JC MUA) is in the last phase of a preliminary assessment of various options to remedy the stormwater management issues that we experience in Jersey City. As a CSO city, most of use are aware of the challenges of managing sewage overflows in Jersey City, which have polluted both our Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, and even exasperated our streets during storm events. The JCMUA has been doing a great job in replacing aging infrastructure, but is now needing to make some major decisions on how investments for the next 20-30 years are going to be spent to fix and prepare for future storm events that impact the JC sewer system - this is a big deal !.

SJC and our Partners, including the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP), are encouraging Green Infrastructure intervention strategies - more streetscape Trees, Green Roofs, Rain Gardens & Bioswales, Neighborhood Cisterns & Rain Barrels, Permeable Pavement (great for parking lots) - to capture and divert stormwater above ground before it enters the sewer system, preventing a huge amount of the overflow problem from becoming an overflow problem !

The obvious secondary benefit of more Green Infrastructure for Jersey City encompasses higher quality of life opportunities for residents and businesses, who will be primarily responsible for paying for the cost of sewer infrastructure upgrades (billions of dollars). Why not lower the cost of these infrastructure upgrades 30-50% like other cities are doing by using Green Infrastructure intervention strategies to prevent CSOs ahead of the turn ? Quick peak at the quality of life benefits available by taking a look at the JC OpenTreeMap which calculates the lower heat on city streets, energy use and better air quaility, etc.!

The JC MUA report, including community feedback about the options they will select thru this Long Term Control Plan Survey (LTCP Survey), is due to the NJ DEP by July 1st, 2019 !

Please provide your Feedback On Possible Alternatives, including more Green Infrastructure, by filling out this JC MUA LTCP SURVEY at your earliest convenience - it’s very short and will only take you a few minutes but is REALLY important to do asap please.

Thanks so much and if I can answer any questions you might have about this issue or this outreach initiative, please feel free to reach me directly at debitaliano@gmail.com or 917-447-9839.

Warm regards,

Deb Italiano

Founder & Chair, SustainableJC.org / Green Infrastructure