Water Extremes: Flooding and Drought
Decades of incessant development and rampant water use have New Jersey facing a strain on our most precious and sacred element: water. The entire state is facing this threat alongside a historic legacy of enviromental racism and resulting pollution. At a time when assertive leadership is necessary to prevent drought emergency, residents are called to learn about their local watersheds and protect what they can through rain water capture, conservation measures, and related green infrastructure.
Visit our Calls to Action page for relevant, timely advocacy activities and actions you can take today!
Current Campaigns
DROUGHT
New Jersey may have a reputation as a lush, green state with high precipitation, yet the state has been experiencing a prolonged drought for almost 2 years. Due to the combination of an aging infrastructure that regularly loses millions of gallons of treated water due to undetected leaks and a population that spikes water consumption during warmer months, the state is consistently on the verge of severe water stress. Drought conditions also increase fire risk. Check out Waterspirit’s latest blog post about this issue, The Sacred Debt of Every Drop. Want to learn more about New Jersey’s current drought status? Check NJDEP’s dedicated drought updates here and find conservation tips here.
Flooding
Do you know if your area is susceptible to flooding? Throughout the state, the costs of flooding are on everyone’s mind: lives lost and the costs in dollars to communities. Waterspirit is part of the Flood Defense New Jersey coalition to galvanize stakeholders of all backgrounds to protect every New Jersey community from damaging floods and harmful, hazardous stormwater pollution. This coalition helps local communities set up flood defense programs to control flooding, reduce pollution, and increase safety.
Waterspirit is part of the Jersey Water Works Collaborative, including many diverse organizations and indviduals who embrace the common purpose of transforming New Jersey’s water infrastructure. Waterspirit is active in the Sewage Free Streets and Rivers coalition, an action-oriented campaign that empowers community organizations to engage residents and small business owners to shape their communities’ solutions to reduced localised flooding and the raw sewage dumped into rivers and streams due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
Waterspirit amplifies stormwater stories from NJ’s historically marginalized communities, including Paterson. Listening to the lived experiences of flood victims, policy makers are moved into action. Check out Waterspirit’s poster featured at the 2024 NY-NJ Harbor and Estuary Conference, focusing on storytelling, including funding awarded through Rutgers for Paterson, Perth Amboy and Newark for overdue infrastructure upgrades and green infrastructure.
Waterspirit is proud to be part of the Northern Monmouth Watershed Alliance which is a county collaborative working locally toward stormwater management goals and a stormwater utility.
Exploring proven preventative measures are the superior decision for any municipality, county or resident!
Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure collects stormwater from streets, sidewalks, and other hard surfaces before it can enter NJ’s sewer system or cause local flooding. To enhance the prevalence of green infrastructure throughout the state, Rutgers University Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program offers virtual and hands-on training to become Green Infrastucture Champions. The certified champions, which we have on staff at Waterspirit, are capable of identifying and supporting green infrastructure projects throughout the state.
Every time it rains, we know hazardous waste is backing up in antiquated systems throughout flood prone areas. There are solutions to help prevent health hazards caused by stormwater runoff and they start with a plan for regional stormwater utilities and broad, localized green infrastructure.
Historically, Waterspirit has promoted effective stormwater management policies alongside investments in green infrastructure since our organizations inception. Want to learn more but not sure where to start? Review our previous webinar serious below.
Webinar 1: Environmental Justice and Stormwater Management
Webinar 2: What Public Officials and Local Leaders Can Do To Prevent Flood Disaster
Webinar 3: Environmental Justice and Stormwater Management: Meet the Funders
Webinar 4: Environmental Justice and Stormwater Management: Success Stories + Next Steps
Want to learn more about how to bring green infrastructure to your community or neighborhood? Book us for a presentation today!