Plan for First Time Assesses Challenges Presented by Climate Change

In today’s environmental news, The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today released its draft 2024 New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan, which for the first time assesses water supply challenges resulting from climate change and offers climate resilience solutions.

The draft plan concludes that, under normal conditions and in most regions, New Jersey has adequate volumes of source water supply and is well-positioned to address water supply challenges as long as the state continues to take actions to mitigate the threats of climate change, aging infrastructure, and emerging contaminants.

Consistent with the state’s comprehensive approach to making New Jersey resilient to the worsening impacts of climate change, the 2024 draft plan seeks to assess the threats of climate change to the state’s water supply. Of particular concern are temperature, precipitation, and sea-level changes, which will significantly impact water quantity, where and when it is available, and its quality. The draft plan also examines how emerging contaminants may impact water supply. A 60-day public comment period is now open. The DEP will schedule two public meetings (one in-person and one virtual) and will review and incorporate comments before finalizing the plan, which is available at NJDEP| Water Supply Plan | Home. Click here to submit comments. Water Supply Planning The Water Supply Management Act (N.J.S.A. 58:1A-13) directs the DEP to prepare the New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan, analyze water supply data, examine associated risks, study projections, and make recommendations for effective management of the state’s water supplies. The initial version of the plan was adopted in 1982 and updated in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991, and 1993. Major revisions occurred in 1996 and 2017. The 2024 draft plan will be updated again in five years, but some aspects may be revised sooner.