Water Sense
Jersey Water Facts
Location. Location. Location. It's New Jersey's greatest
asset—from the sandy beaches of the Jersey
Shore to the bright lights of Atlantic City. Close
proximity to New York City and Philadelphia also make
New Jersey the state with the highest population dens-
ity in the United States. Though generally considered a
"water rich" state with an average rainfall of 45 inches per year, New Jersey
faces long-term water issues as its population continues to grow—while
water supplies remain constant.
Static Supply
Growing Demand
New Jersey's average annual precipitation
ranges from about 40 inches along the south-
east coast to 51 inches in the north-central part
of the state. Many areas average between 43 and
47 inches, and there are currently no active
drought conditions in the state.
Groundwater and surface water supplies are
used equally by residents. An increased need for
groundwater withdrawals in southern New
Jersey, due to population growth and the pres-
ence of more productive Coastal Plain aquifers,
have increased the risk of saltwater intrusion,
which can threaten the usable supply.
The average New Jersey resident uses 70 gallons
of water per day. However, in peak water use
months—April to October—this number can
increase to up to 155 gallons per day.
Although the industrial revolution and iron min-
ing from the mid-1800s to 1900s steadily
increased New Jersey's population, it was not
until the New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1950
that the population truly boomed, resulting in a
25 percent increase in one decade. With every
county in the state considered by the U.S.
Census Bureau to be "metropolitan"—the only
U.S. state with this claim—New Jersey's popula-
tion density is more than 1,000 people per
square mile.
The Census Bureau projects the state's popula-
tion will increase by nearly 1 million people by
2020. This population growth in New Jersey will
place additional demand on the state's water
resources and infrastructure, particularly in areas
that have not experienced high water demand
before.
July 2010
(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) • www.epa.gov/watersense • watersense@epa.gov
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Looking to the Future
In addition to population growth straining
water supplies, a recent National Resources
Defense Council report states seven counties in
New Jersey should expect high to extremely
high risks for water shortages by 2050 as a
result of climate change.
As New Jersey's water demands increase, con-
servation programs and water efficiency have
become the state's main focus for addressing
water quantity issues. New Jersey has devel-
oped progressive monitoring, assessment, and
management programs in the country and
ranks among the top five states in the nation for
its programs dealing with environmental issues.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources
Program, in conjunction with the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),
Division of Water Resources, and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)
Region 2 office, developed the New Jersey
Water Savers Program in 2007. The program
encourages the community and local stakehold-
ers to take on water-saving behaviors, saving
taxpayers money in the long term by delaying
or eliminating the need for new or expanded
water infrastructure. The program includes
indoor plumbing retrofits, outdoor water-saving
demonstrations, and incentive programs.
EPA's WaterSense® program has several partners
throughout the state helping to spread the word
about water efficiency. These partners encour-
age customers to look for the WaterSense label
on plumbing products that have been inde-
pendently certified to use at least 20 percent less
water and perform as well as or better than stan-
dard models.
Saving water can also save energy and money.
For example, if every household in New Jersey
Sustainable Mew Jersey
A coalition of state agencies, local government
organizations, academic institutions and others
are implementing Sustainable Jersey™, a certifi-
cation program for municipalities in New Jersey
that want to go green, save money, and take steps
to sustain their quality of life over the long term.
Municipalities can earn points by taking actions in
several areas including energy efficiency, green
design, land use, and natural resources. The volun-
tary program, which launched in early 2009, has
certified 34 communities to date.
Recognizing the importance that water plays in
sustaining a community, two of the actions are
focused on water efficiency. Points can be earned
by developing water conservation education pro-
grams that inform individuals of the need to use
water resources in a sustainable manner.
Development of a water conservation ordinance,
based on a model provided by DEP, is one of sev-
eral priority actions that communities must select
in order to receive recognition. Visit www.sustain-
ablejersey.com to learn more.
replaced its inefficient showerheads with
WaterSense labeled ones, it could save 7.6 bil-
lion gallons of water each year—that's enough
to supply the daily water needs of every house-
hold in Newark, New Jersey. It would also save
about $70 million in energy costs from heating,
treating, and distributing less water.
For more information and water-saving tips,
visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
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