REMINDER: Public Meeting Announcement - Stormwater Management Presentation By JC Municipal Utilities Authority

4 Upcoming Presentations By The JC Municipal Utilities Authority (JC MUA) - Understand The Options Being Considered To Manage Stormwater Issues in Jersey City AND Voice Your Opinion.

2 Public Meetings This Week !

This is an IMPORTANT time for you to learn more about the Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) being developed by the JC MUA. The LTCP will determine the types of solutions that will be implemented in Jersey City to manage JC’s CSO Issue or ‘JC’s Plumbing Problem”. The solutions can include a mix of GREY and GREEN Infrastructure and the goal is to optimize Green Infrastructure (GI) wherever possible..

The Reasons You Should Care -

The more Green Infrastructure the lower the cost of these projects and the more community benefits accrue. These upcoming projects represent the largest Capital Infrastructure $$$ Investement Jersey City will spend in a generation !

• The COST matters as the many millions of dollars that this retrofit of the JC sewer system will cost, will be paid thru sewer utility fees assessed to ratepayers aka the general public, including businesses.

• The BENEFITS of GI are well known, including moderation of extreme temperatures, e.g., lowering the heat island effect which reduces energy usage, air quality improvements, removal of carbon dioxide emissions, and other quality of life benefits including more Trees.

The GOAL this Spring is get as much community input as possible as the JC MUA must submit their preliminary plans to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) by this July 2019 - final plans are due July 2020.

Updates on JC MUA LTCP and Green Infrastructure Projects here.

Dates For Upcoming Public Meetings - Download Flyer With Details Here.

• Greenvile - Tuesday March 12 at the Bethune Center, 6pm - 7:30pm

• Downtown - Thursday March 14th at City Hall, 6pm - 7:30pm

• Westside - Thurs March 28th at the Hank Gallo Center in Lincoln Park, 6pm - 7:30pm

• Heights - Thurs April 4th at PS # 28, 6pm - 7:30pm

Please Attend ONE Of These Meetings AND Please Share This Information !

More information on Sewage Free NJ and How To Become A Community Partner Here.

Interview airs 9am On THURSDAY February 28th for A Home That You Love Video Series!

You Have 48 Hours To View OR You Can Catch Up At The End Of The Series and View All Interviews At Your Leisure Starting On Tuesday March 5th - These are lifestyle tips you don’t want to miss!

Hello Everyone!

Imagine that you came home tonight to find your home transformed.

The house is clean. There’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place. You know exactly what you’re cooking for a delicious healthy dinner. The space is set up and equipped for however your family spends your evenings. And you are comforted by the fact that you have take a series of steps which provide a sustainable household that makes a positive impact on your family and community.

Sound like a pipe dream? Then you must check out A Home You Love, a free online show dedicated to helping you create a functional, peaceful and sustainable home now and into the future. Get access to the video interview series here.

‘Home’ is not only a place but a state of mind and we can gain much from new knowledge and tips about how to transform both the space we live in and our lifestyles. That’s why I want to invite you to access this free online show that I’m a part of, A Home You Love.

Host Tamara Templeman is a mom of 3 and has co-owned a home renovation company, Houseplay Renovations, with her husband Niall for the past 10 years. Tammy will be interviewing 21 amazing guests (including me!) about how to create a home you love and how to integrate some lifestyle changes that improve the quality of your life, including sustainable living practices.

A Home You Love video interview series went live on Tuesday, February 12, and is airing 21 daily interviews of professionals who will help you to transform your living space and your lifestyle in practical and purposeful ways.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this series:

• Strategies to manage clutter and mess (even when you’re outnumbered)

• Tips for integrating color, pattern and beauty into your space

• Inspiration for designing your home to transform your life, including the way you eat.

• Ideas for creating an environment conducive to rest, relaxation and deep sleep

• Natural alternatives for cleaning and wellness

• Sustainability practices that provide simple ways to protect the environment and positively impact your family and community.

If you miss any of these interviews (you have 48 hours after each one to view), at the end of the series you can gain access to all 21 interviews to view at your pleasure. To access these just sign up here.

Warm regards,

Deb Italiano

Founder, Sustainable JC

A Home That You Love Video Series!

Hello Everyone,!

Imagine that you came home tonight to find your home transformed.

The house is clean. There’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place. You know exactly what you’re cooking for a delicious healthy dinner. The space is set up and equipped for however your family spends your evenings. And you are comforted by the fact that you have take a series of steps which provide a sustainable household that makes a positive impact on your family and community.

Sound like a pipe dream? Then you must check out A Home You Love, a free online show dedicated to helping you create a functional, peaceful and sustainable home now and into the future. Get access to the video interview series here.

‘Home’ is not only a place but a state of mind and we can gain much from new knowledge and tips about how to transform both the space we live in and our lifestyles. That’s why I want to invite you to access this free online show that I’m a part of, A Home You Love.

Host Tamara Templeman is a mom of 3 and has co-owned a home renovation company, Houseplay Renovations, with her husband Niall for the past 10 years. Tammy will be interviewing 21 amazing guests (including me!) about how to create a home you love and how to integrate some lifestyle changes that improve the quality of your life, including sustainable living practices.

A Home You Love video interview series went live on Tuesday, February 12, and is airing 21 daily interviews of professionals who will help you to transform your living space and your lifestyle in practical and purposeful ways.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this series:

• Strategies to manage clutter and mess (even when you’re outnumbered)

• Tips for integrating color, pattern and beauty into your space

• Inspiration for designing your home to transform your life, including the way you eat.

• Ideas for creating an environment conducive to rest, relaxation and deep sleep

• Natural alternatives for cleaning and wellness

• Sustainability practices that provide simple ways to protect the environment and positively impact your family and community.

If you miss any of these interviews (you have 48 hours after each one to view), at the end of the series you can gain access to all 21 interviews to view at your pleasure. To access these just sign up here.

Warm regards,

Deb Italiano

Founder, Sustainable JC

Sustainable Success at McNair Academic High School!

Guest Blogger - Harshal Agrawal, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School Senior and Local Activist

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I am a senior at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School here in Jersey City interested in making change at the intersection of environmental engineering and public policy. Back in September, I petitioned the Jersey City Board Of Education (JCBOE) to install lead filters on water fountains in public schools citywide. Similar to a lot of kids in our city, I have been attending Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS) ever since 1st grade and at most schools in our city, all water fountains have been shut off for drinking use due to lead contamination from old, lead-soldered pipes. Unfortunately, a lot of students are taught from an early age in JCPS to not drink from the water fountains.

Elkay water fountains at McNair high school that have been turned off indefinitely until the water becomes potable again.

One day last year after soccer practice, I needed water, but the school had once again run out. The frustration I felt at this moment ultimately motivated me to find a solution. After some preliminary research, I found that due to state regulations, JCBOE was required to shut off all fountains where they found unsafe levels of lead and either provide alternative water sources to students or fix the pipes. Opting for the former, JCBOE put water coolers in each of these schools and according to publicly available board docs, currently ships in 5 gallon water jug replacements from a company in Birdsboro, PA (over 110 miles away) at $3.75 per bottle [1]. Almost the entire school district of more than 30,000 students and approximately 40 schools relies on this bottled water for daily consumption.

Plastic trash at McNair High School Water Cooler.

These water coolers are neither environmentally nor economically sustainable. Trash cans throughout schools citywide are filled to the brim with single-use, non-recycled plastic cups. Gallons of fuel are consumed annually for the transportation of water jug replacements. Students tend to bring plastic bottled water to school because they are not allowed to refill their water bottles, thus producing more non-recycled plastic garbage. Worst of all, schools often simply run out of water jug replacements and students have to spend the entire day without drinking water as I had to after my soccer practice that day. It's very hard for students to focus in class on such days without having any water to rehydrate, especially after coming back from phys ed. Lastly, instructional time is often wasted on such days when water is running low as "search parties" of students navigate the halls, going from floor to floor in search of non-empty water coolers.  

When I started brainstorming solutions, I knew that replacing all the lead-soldered water pipes was not a feasible option. I did some research and instead, found commercially available water filters that can be installed on existing water fountains to bring lead within safe-to-consume levels. Elkay, the company that manufactured most of the old, currently installed water fountains in our school district, makes these compatible filters.

Using McNair HS as case study, JCBOE sanctioned a water testing at the school which found that the lead levels at many of the water fountains throughout McNair HS are not drastically higher than EPA acceptable levels (<15 ppb) [2]. By attaching lead water filters to these fountains, it is very likely that their lead levels will be brought to within safe drinking levels. Once installed, these filters, which cost $80, last for up to two years and require little to no maintenance [3]. In the long run, these filters provide a cheaper and greener alternative to constantly refilling water coolers with replacement jugs.

Lead water filter on City Hall’s Water Cooler.

In September, I made an online petition addressed to the JCBOE to conduct a pilot study of these filters at McNair HS. I got the online endorsement of local parent groups such as Jersey City Together and  Civic Parent. With the help of these partnerships, I spoke at a McNair PTA meeting, BOE meeting, and Citywide Student Council meetings to get 800+ signatures on my petition to install and test lead-filters at the water fountains. As a result of this successful petition, I had the opportunity of meeting with  JCPS administrators to get a pilot study of these filters initially approved at McNair. Since then, I have acquired final approval for the pilot study from the district’s independent water contractor, Tectonics. Just recently, the purchase orders for the filters and pre/post water testing were passed by the JCBOE and now it’s just a matter of district plumbers coming to McNair and installing these filters.

While my petition has so far been successful to enact change at McNair, please still consider signing it here to show JCBOE how big of a problem this is at all our schools. I am currently working on creating a coalition of parents, students, and teachers citywide to continue this water-advocacy after I graduate and install more of these filters at other schools in the city. Many thanks to Sustainable Jersey City for letting me tell my story here and for promising to continue advocating for clean water once I’ve graduated. If you have any questions or would like to support me, please email me at Harshal.agrawal.623@gmail.com or visit my website at HABprevention.weebly.com.

[1] https://www.boarddocs.com/nj/jcps/Board.nsf/files/A7XEGM0DAD76/%24file/Attc%2011.03%20-%20AF23956.pdf

[2] http://www.jcboe.org/boe2015/images/lead_test_results/Lead_McNair.pdf

[3] https://www.amazon.com/Elkay-51300C3PK-Replacement-Filling-Stations/dp/B005IOFGKC