September 16, 2021
Heavy rainfall and the devastation from Hurricane Ida are raising awareness about the need for sewer upgrades. Reporter Michael Sol Warren covered the issue of our outdated combined sewer systems in his July NJ.com article entitled Sick of needles washing up on N.J. beaches? Blame our outdated sewers. The damage caused by Hurricane Ida has lawmakers from New Jersey and across the country talking about the need for wastewater infrastructure upgrades. We need to convert this attention into the infrastructure investments and projects that will protect our communities from flooding and sewer backups. 
The devastation from Hurricane Ida emphasized the urgent need for major investments in New Jersey’s wastewater infrastructure. Streets were flooded, and sewer backups were pervasive in communities with combined sewer systems. Indeed, the 100-year storm has proven to be a once-in-a-decade affair.

The impacts from the storm raise two important questions:

  1. How do we capitalize on the increasing attention devoted to the infrastructure funding and repairs we need to make our communities climate-resilient? 
  2. How do we provide immediate assistance to residents and businesses suffering from property damage?

Learn more here.
Photo credit: Hannah Binder (Hoboken, NJ)
The Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers campaign awarded six organizations a total of $7,750 in capacity building grants in the spring of 2021. The purpose of these grants is to support efforts by partner organizations to conduct public outreach on combined sewer overflow impacts, solutions, challenges, and financing. The latest round of grants focused on small business outreach and the expansion of initiatives’ reach among residents. Learn more here.
Photo Credit: Greenville Neighborhood Alliance
CREWS in the News 
The Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers campaign is funded by a generous grant from The Kresge Foundation to New Jersey Future. As part of an initiative that funds 24 grantees, the Climate Resilient and Equitable Water Systems (CREWS) initiative is a program working to transform stormwater and wastewater systems with climate-resilient water management practices that emphasize equity. This month we are featuring Timon McPhearson, Director of the Urban Systems Lab. The Lab’s work with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Resiliency on mapping flooding and improving stormwater resiliency is featured in an article from MIT Technology Review entitled How Ida dodged NYC’s flood defense.
Get Involved and Spread the Word!

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There is still time to register for tonight’s Lead-Free NJ virtual session on lead policies. This is the second session in a series of educational events that will teach you the basics of lead legislation. Learn more about what legislation is currently being worked on and potential policy solutions for remediation. Register here.
Who should attend:
  • Community members
  • Advocates and activists
  • Community-based, statewide, and national organizations
  • Industry workers
  • Municipal, county, and state officials

Join as a member to show your support for achieving a lead-free NJ for all children! Membership is free, and it’s easy to sign up. Copy and paste this link into your browser for more information: https://www.leadfreenj.org/become-a-member.
Paterson Announces First Annual Green Fair 
The City of Paterson and Paterson Green Team will host the first annual Green Fair in Paterson on Saturday, September 18 (10 am - 2 pm) at Pennington Park on McBride Ave. Enjoy great food, entertainment, hands-on activities for the family, and resources from community organizations that will teach you how you can make Paterson greener. The Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers campaign will be sharing resources on combined sewer overflows. Register here to be a vendor and please come out and show your support. 
The seventh annual “Imagine a Day Without Water” will take place on October 21. This year’s national educational campaign will focus on where our water comes from and where it goes. Events and actions organized by groups across the country “will take a deeper dive into the impact of drinking water and wastewater providers within your community.” The goal of the day is to educate America about the value of water. Learn more about the day and how you can get involved here.
About This Campaign
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers is an action-oriented campaign that empowers community organizations to engage residents and small business owners to shape their communities’ solutions to reduce localized flooding and the raw sewage dumped into rivers and streams due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs). It is organized by its partners and an advisory board, with the support of New Jersey Future.
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