Governor Mikie Sherrill will be sworn in on January 20, 2026. The state’s aging drinking, waste, and storm water infrastructures will need her immediate attention.

This is one of a series of articles on the infrastructure challenges that Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill will face.

Drinking Water

New Jersey has more than 600 public drinking water systems serving 9.2 million residents, ranging from large, municipally-owned utilities to privately-owned public systems. All are subject to state and federal oversight. New Jersey’s drinking water challenges center on PFAS contamination, aging infrastructure, lead service lines, climate-driven droughts and saltwater intrusion, and inequities in access. Despite billions in federal investment, the state still faces systemic risks that threaten public health and trust.

Contamination: PFAS and Lead  

• New Jersey became the first state to set enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in 2018. Despite this leadership, contamination remains widespread, affecting 500,000 residents across 74 water systems.
• The state faces some of the highest PFAS contamination levels in the nation
• PFAS persist in groundwater, rivers, and reservoirs, particularly near industrial sites and military bases.  
• Many cities, including Newark and Trenton, still rely on lead pipes. Federal funding has earmarked $44 million for lead and copper rule improvements in New Jersey, but full replacement will take years.
• New Jersey’s industrial past left behind thousands of contaminated sites. The DEP continues to investigate and remediate these, but PFAS pose unique challenges due to their persistence and bioaccumulation.
• Statewide replacement of Lead Service Lines is estimated to cost $3 Billion

Aging Infrastructure  

• The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Infrastructure Report Card estimates New Jersey needs $8.6 billion in drinking water improvements over the next two decades.  
• Trenton Water Works, serving 200,000 residents, faces chronic compliance issues and requires nearly $1 billion in upgrades.
• Riverside’s water mains date from the early 1900s. 95% of Mount Ephraim Borough’s system is from the 1930s and 1940s.

Climate Change Impacts  

• Rising sea levels threaten coastal aquifers with saltwater intrusion. 
• Cape May pioneered desalination in 1996, but its plant now requires a $30 million upgrade.  
• In 2025, the NJDEP declared a statewide drought watch after 13 of 15 months of below-average rainfall depleted reservoirs.
• Flooding and storms can overwhelm treatment plants, while heat waves increase demand, stressing already fragile systems.

Regulatory and Governance Challenges  

• Proposed legislation to require water suppliers to notify municipalities and schools of violations remains stalled.  
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has delivered over $500 million to New Jersey, including $168 million in 2024 alone. These funds target PFAS treatment, lead line replacement, and emerging contaminants.  
• Federal funding mandates that 40% of benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing long-standing inequities.

Equity and Access  

• Cities with older infrastructure face higher risks of contamination compared to wealthier suburbs.  
• Lead contamination disproportionately affects low-income districts.  
• Groups continue to push for stronger protections, emphasizing that marginalized communities bear the brunt of unsafe water.

New Jersey’s drinking water challenges are deeply interconnected contamination from PFAS and lead, aging infrastructure, climate change, and inequities in access all converge. While federal funding and state leadership on PFAS regulation mark progress, the scale of the problem demands sustained investment, stronger transparency laws, and community-driven solutions. Without decisive action, millions of residents risk continued exposure to unsafe water, undermining public health and confidence in essential infrastructure.

Wastewater and Stormwater

New Jersey’s wastewater and stormwater systems are among the oldest in the nation. Much of the infrastructure was built in the early 20th century, and many urban areas still rely on combined sewer systems that discharge untreated sewage into rivers and bays during heavy rainfall. 

New Jersey’s wastewater and stormwater systems face overlapping crises: aging infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, nutrient pollution, climate-driven flooding, and funding gaps. These challenges threaten public health, water quality, and resilience, requiring billions in investment and stronger regulatory frameworks. Climate change is intensifying these problems, with sea level rise, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding overwhelming outdated systems. At the same time, nutrient pollution and inequities in infrastructure investment exacerbate risks for vulnerable communities.  

Aging Infrastructure  

• Many wastewater treatment plants and sewer lines were built decades ago, with some dating back to the 1900s.  
• Leaking pipes allow groundwater infiltration, increasing treatment costs.  
• Outdated treatment facilities struggle to meet modern standards for nutrient removal and PFAS filtration.  
• Deferred maintenance has left municipalities with billions in backlogged needs.  
• The EPA estimates New Jersey requires over $24 billion in wastewater and stormwater investment over the next 20 years.  

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)  

• About 21 municipalities in New Jersey still operate combined sewer systems, including Newark, Paterson, Camden, and Jersey City.  
• During heavy rain, stormwater mixes with sewage, overwhelming treatment plants and discharging untreated waste into waterways.  
• Public health risks from pathogens.  
• Environmental damage to rivers like the Passaic, Hackensack, and Raritan.  
• Economic costs from beach closures and degraded fisheries.  
• Municipalities must submit long-term control plans to the NJDEP, but implementation costs run into billions.
• Estimated costs to address Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) is $3-5 Billion over the next 20 years

Nutrient Pollution and Water Quality  

• Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater treatment plants contribute to harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs.  
• Lake Hopatcong has faced repeated closures due to toxic blooms, linked to nutrient runoff and wastewater discharges.  
• Many plants lack advanced nutrient removal technology, requiring costly upgrades.  

Climate Change Impacts

• Coastal wastewater plants face increased inundation risks from flooding and sea level rise.
• Facilities along the Delaware River and Raritan Bay are vulnerable to storm surges.  
• Studies show precipitation in New Jersey is becoming more frequent and severe. This overwhelms stormwater systems, causing localized flooding.  
• Rising seas threaten saltwater intrusion of coastal aquifers, complicating wastewater management.  

Stormwater Management Challenges  

• Impervious surfaces in cities generate polluted stormwater that carries oil, heavy metals, and trash into waterways.  
• New Jersey authorized municipalities to create stormwater utilities to fund improvements, but adoption has been slow due to political resistance.  
• Rain gardens, permeable pavements, and bioswales are promoted as cost-effective solutions, but scaling them statewide remains a challenge.  
• The Murphy administration launched a $20 million resilience program in 2024 to modernize stormwater infrastructure, but the scale of need far exceeds available funds.  

Governance and Regulatory Complexity  

• Over 600 wastewater and stormwater entities operate in New Jersey, ranging from large utilities to small municipal departments.  
• Special protections exist in the Highlands and Pinelands regions, but urban areas face the greatest infrastructure deficits.  
• Low-income communities often lack resources to upgrade systems, leaving them more vulnerable to flooding and pollution.  

New Jersey’s drinking water, waste water and storm water challenges are deeply interconnected. Aging infrastructure, PFAS, lead service lines, combined sewer overflows, nutrient pollution, and climate change converge to create systemic risks. While recent funding and regulatory initiatives mark progress, the scale of investment needed is immense. Without decisive action from the incoming Sherrill administration, the state risks worsening public health crises, environmental degradation, and economic losses.  

Sources

• NJDEP, “2022 New Jersey Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report”, https://dep.nj.gov/wms/bears/integrated-wq-assessment-report-2022/
• Clean Air and Water, “NJ Water Quality Report 2025”, https://cleanairandwater.net/new-jersey-the-garden-state
• American Society of Civil Engineers, “2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure”, https://infrastructurereportcard.org/.
• NJDEP, “Forever No More: PFAS Strategy 2025”, https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/pfas/docs/njdep-pfas-strategy-2025.pdf
• EPA, “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announcement for New Jersey”, https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/new-jersey-slated-get-total-168m-water-infrastructure-through-biden-harris-investing
• NJ Spotlight News, “How proposed DEP regulations could impact development at the Shore, elsewhere”, https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/02/proposed-nj-climate-rules-would-bring-big-changes-meet-some-resistance/
• New Jersey Future, “Water Infrastructure for Thriving Communities”,  https://www.njfuture.org/issues/environment-and-agriculture/water-sewer/upgrading-water-infrastructure/
• NJDEP, “Murphy Administration Launches $20 Million Resilience Program to Modernize Stormwater Infrastructure and Management in Face of Climate Change Threats”, https://dep.nj.gov/newsrel/24_0042/
• Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers, “Fact Sheets on CSO Plans,” https://sewagefreenj.org/2020/12/17/get-the-facts-on-the-long-term-control-plans/