November 19, 2021
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) wants to hear from people who are interested, concerned, or impacted by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) about what should be in the next combined sewer overflow (CSO) permit. The forthcoming CSO permits will state the specific projects and timelines that each municipal permit holder will implement in the next five years, as well as general conditions that will apply to all of the permits related to issues like public engagement and metrics for evaluating the projects. 

A stakeholder process kicked off in late October with a questionnaire that included the 2015 permit condition for public engagement and asked about issues and solutions related to public engagement, Supplemental CSO Teams, guidance documents, metrics, climate change, and environmental justice. The deadline for submitting the questionnaire is Friday, Nov. 19. To be included in the stakeholder process, email NJCSOProgram@dep.nj.gov. A stakeholder meeting will be scheduled for early December 2021.
Virtual and held over three days—Dec. 8-10, 2021 
Register here.

This year’s Jersey Water Works conference features a ton of discussions related to the work of Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers partners. Two community leaders who have engaged their communities in developing solutions to combined sewer overflows will participate in the session on the role of community and water stewards. Check out all of the sessions and speakers.
Left: Joel Rosa, Administrative Analyst, City of Perth Amboy; Right: Martha Arencibia, Paterson Green Team Co-chair
Open Mic at the Paterson Falls
The Paterson Green Team and Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers are hosting a Water Stories Open Mic in collaboration with the Association of Environmental Commissions and Water Spirit at the Girls Scouts Paterson Falls clean-up on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 from 9:30am to noon. Come and tell your water story!
Deadline: Dec. 3, 2021

The 2022 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference brings together bold ideas, innovative solutions, proven concepts, and best practices for creating stronger, more inclusive, and equitable places where people live, work, and play. New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association are proud to partner for the second year and present a three-day conference to be held virtually on March 2-3 and in person at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick on March 4. Participate by submitting a proposal after reviewing these guidelines. Submit your session here.
CREWS in the News
This month we are featuring Building Blocks of Trust: Creating Authentic and Equitable Relationships Between Community Organizations and Water Utilities, a new report from CREWS grantee RiverNetwork in collaboration with the WaterNow Alliance. “In this report you’ll find best practices and case studies you can apply locally to create and bolster relationships that will improve the health of waterways and communities.” 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.
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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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