A recent article by the Asbury Park Press paints a bleak picture about the future of New Jersey's drinking water supplies. The article, "New Jersey drinking water running out: Supplies won't meet projected needs by 2020," covered the annual public hearing of the NJ Clean Water Council, and many of the participants presented "sobering news" about the state's drinking water situation. Speakers addressed problems ranging from aging water infrastructure to strains from population growth to issues arising from climate change.
The full article can be found at http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/NEWS03/710240337/1007. Is the future of drinking water in New Jersey being adequately addressed? Is the seriousness of the problem being over- or under-stated?
We are starting this blog in the hope that it will become a place where people interested and involved with water can exchange ideas, questions, knowledge, and concerns with each other. New Jersey has a wealth of water expertise, water-related organizations, and, of course, water resources. Currently, there is no way for people to communicate with each other outside of very specific meetings. Yet, there is a tremendous need for people across the range of water resource topics and various agencies and organizations to be able to communicate with one another.
We look forward to reading your postings and hope the responses will be useful for all who care about New Jersey's waters.
Here are some possible topics of discussion
- Water quality monitoring
- Cap-and-trade pollutant management systems
- Wetland mitigation
- Watershed management planning
- Wastewater Reuse
- TMDLs
- Emerging new contaminants - pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- Current water-related legislation and water policy
- Water availability - permitting, supplies, constraints, aquifer depletion, and salinization
- Water education - programs for K-12
- Water security and sustainability
To add your own post, please email njwrri@gmail.com.
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About Us
- NJWRRI
- The New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute is a federally funded program of research, training and information concerning all aspects of fresh and estuarine water in the state. We support research in solving water problems, train students in water-related fields, and facilitate the transfer of information from researchers to water managers and the public.
Here are a few other water-related blogs that provide an example of what we'd like to see happen in New Jersey, and that might be of interest to NJ water folks. Please let us know about any other interesting sites!
www.waterconserve.org/blog - articles, news items and conversation about water conservation issues
www.ruralwater.org - rural water issues, centered on the Western U.S.
www.startribune.com/blogs/water/ - an example of a community-oriented blog; discusses water in Minneapolis
www.earthportal.org/forum/?cat=7 - hosted by Earth Portal, this site gives the public an opportunity to discuss water issues with experts
www.miox.com/blog - a commercial company blog on water disinfection
www.zimbio.com/portal/
Water+Resources/blog/rss -
a general blog about water issues
