Gottheimer announces new federal investment for water infrastructure projects throughout New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Thursday announced critical new federal investments clawed back from Washington to Jersey for water infrastructure improvements projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

These projects will help communities access clean, safe, and reliable drinking water, increase water infrastructure resilience, collect and treat wastewater to protect public health, clean up pollution, and safeguard vital waterways.

This federal investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill — which Gottheimer helped shape and pass — totals nearly $169 million, which includes investment for supplemental drinking water projects, to identify and replace lead service lines, and to address emerging contaminants like PFAS.

“For years now, I’ve been fighting to get clean drinking water for our families, to protect our local waters, and to claw more federal tax dollars back to Jersey from Washington. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that I helped shape and pass, we’re helping get lead and forever chemicals out of our drinking water and making significant investments to address water pollution in communities across the country — all while creating millions of jobs,” Gottheimer said. “The more federal tax dollars that we get back to North Jersey, the less our towns have to charge in local taxes — and I’m all about lowering taxes.”

New Jersey has 350,000 lead service lines, according to the American Water Works Association, which are lead pipes that connect a water main to premises like a home or school — from the curb to the home.

Any pipe leading to a home or school built before 1988 could have lead pipes. According to 2019 research, approximately 480 school buildings across a third of New Jersey’s school districts recorded lead levels that exceeded 15 parts per billion, which is unacceptable.

Other investments clawed back to New Jersey through the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the first year alone include:

• Fixing our crumbling roads and bridges: $3.2 billion has been announced for New Jersey roads, bridges, roadway safety, and major projects.
• Helping build the Gateway Train Tunnel between New York and New Jersey: This year, Gottheimer helped break ground on the new Portal North Bridge, a key first step to completing the Gateway Train Tunnel. The Gateway Tunnel will connect 20 percent of the nation’s GDP between New York and New Jersey. The current tunnel between the two states is more than 110 years old and if it were to crumble, it would cost the regional economy $100 million a day. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will fund a major portion of the Tunnel.
• Boosting access to high-speed internet: 190,000 households in New Jersey have enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which cuts internet bills by up to $30 per month, and provides a one-time $100 discount off a connected device.
• Ensuring our infrastructure is resilient: $355.8 million has been allocated to New Jersey for infrastructure resilience in 2022.
• Protecting our water from dangerous lead and forever chemicals: $168 million has been announced for critical New Jersey water infrastructure needs to get forever chemicals and lead out of our families’ water, and overall improve the quality of life for New Jersey residents.
• Lowering emissions and pollution from buses and public transit: $2.3 million has been awarded to New Jersey for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program and $44.7 million has been awarded to New Jersey for clean transit buses and improved bus service through DOT’s Low- and No-Emission Bus and Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
• Building a national network of electric vehicle chargers: $37.7 million is being allocated to New Jersey to build out a network of EV chargers across the state.
• Upgrading power infrastructure for clean energy: $103.5 million has been allocated to New Jersey for clean energy, energy efficiency, and power in 2022.