South Jersey Water Allocation
Everyday, communities are faced with problems. Although some are bigger than others, each one requires its own individual attention whether it is drug abuse, unemployment, or even domestic abuse. However, sometimes even the best communities can overlook problems, which result in the problems growing. Like many other communities in South Jersey, Vineland is seeing a rapid growth of housing developments. They are spreading all over Vineland like wild fire and consequently could cause the same type of effect if the Vineland Water Department and Mayor Perry Barse do not take the right approach.
With Vineland having an area of sixty-nine square miles of land, it is the largest city and/or town in the state of New Jersey according to The United States Census Bureau (Vineland, New Jersey. Wikipedia Encyclopedia). The fact that Vineland has so much suitable land for housing equates as a key ingredient for contractors to produce housing developments. The Cohansey aquifer supplies Vineland with the best water resource in the region and has been well maintained over the years (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.).
"The major problem that has resulted from the rapid growth of these housing developments is that the City of Vineland Water Department and Mayor Barse did not properly prepare for this influx in housing. If they continue with these developments, the city will be fined" (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.). There are water allocations that the city must follow. "The Bureau of Water Allocation, operating as an arm of the Water Supply Administration, is responsible for ensuring that the surface and ground water diversions do not exceed the sustainable yield of available water resources and do not adversely impact the existing users of the resources" (United States. Bureau of Water Allocation). This translates that the WSA distributes the water equally among the cities or towns of one particular area.
The poor planning is evident as there is only a small amount of allocation left for the up and coming housing developments planned for Vineland. This is approximately one percent of allocation (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.). In the past year, there has been a number of six hundred and fifty plus houses planned for housing developments. This is twenty times the amount of houses proposed five years ago (Giselle, Sotelo).
Some people tend to think that the lack of water allocation is actually a good thing because it will slow down the housing boom and the suburban sprawl that is apparently happening in Vineland. However, if the continued growth of Vineland is to be put on hold, naturally it would impact our community’s economy. For example, contractors such as builders, plumbers, electricians, and other workers would not have steady work. It would also affect the local stores because not as many people would purchase necessary materials for their home. In addition, increased housing developments provide more taxes for the city from perspective homeowners. Therefore, putting a halt to the current planned developments could have a domino effect on the overall positive growth of the city and the well-being of its economy.
New Jersey as far back as 1999 has been working to ensure that the water systems in its communities are properly maintained. " In accordance with section 1420© of The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, each state is required to develop and implement a strategy to assist existing systems in acquiring and maintaining capacity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency approved New Jersey’s Capacity Development Strategy on September 28, 2000" (United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water).
The first obvious approach to resolving the water supply problem would be for Mayor Barse to apply for increased water allocations to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. "The DWSRF serves as the primary source of funding for implementing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s capacity development strategy. The NJDEP is allowed to set aside up to ten percent of each capitalization grant for state program management activities, which includes funding the Capacity Development Program. In addition, the NJDEP is allowed to set aside two percent of each capitalization grant for small water system technical assistants and fifteen percent of each capitalization grant for activities to assist development and/or implementation of source water protection, well head protection, and capacity development" (United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water).
Ultimately, the city of Vineland must maintain a balance that permits new construction to meet the state requirements regarding the water allocation set by the NJDEP. If they do not abide by the water allocations, they will have to face stiff penalties. More importantly, continuing to build at such a rapid pace knowing that the water supply is at stake is a serious matter. Therefore, Vineland needs to take a good look to see if the continued rapid housing growth will adversely affect our water supply. If so, builders should not be permitted to construct too many more housing developments in Vineland.
MLA Documentation
Works Cited
1.) Vineland, New Jersey. Wikipedia Encyclopedia. Updated November 15, 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vineland,_New_Jersey . Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
2.) United States. Bureau of Water Allocation. Water Supply Administration; About Water Supply; Water Allocation. Trenton, NJ. Updated August 18, 2005. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/alocatin.htm . Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
3.) Giselle, Sotelo. "Vineland Searches for an Oasis." The Daily Journal. News. 984 words. Printed November 17, 2005. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_site=thedailyjournal&f_site=thedailyjournal&f_sitename=Daily+Journal%2C+The+%28Vineland%2C+NJ%29&p_theme=gannett&p_product=VDJB&p_action=search&p_field_base-0=&p_text_base-0=water+Department&Search=Search&p_perpage=10&p_maxdocs=200&p_queryname=700&s_search_type=keyword&p_sort=_rank_%3AD&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date%3AB%2CE&p_text_date-0=-3qzM. Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
4.) United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water. Report to the Governor Status on the Implementation of New Jersey’s Capacity Development Program. New Jersey. September 2005. www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/index.html . Accessed Nov. 29, 2005.
5.) Saffioti Sr., Frank J. Licensed Master Plumber, #5578.
Personal Interview. 27 Nov. 2005.
With Vineland having an area of sixty-nine square miles of land, it is the largest city and/or town in the state of New Jersey according to The United States Census Bureau (Vineland, New Jersey. Wikipedia Encyclopedia). The fact that Vineland has so much suitable land for housing equates as a key ingredient for contractors to produce housing developments. The Cohansey aquifer supplies Vineland with the best water resource in the region and has been well maintained over the years (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.).
"The major problem that has resulted from the rapid growth of these housing developments is that the City of Vineland Water Department and Mayor Barse did not properly prepare for this influx in housing. If they continue with these developments, the city will be fined" (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.). There are water allocations that the city must follow. "The Bureau of Water Allocation, operating as an arm of the Water Supply Administration, is responsible for ensuring that the surface and ground water diversions do not exceed the sustainable yield of available water resources and do not adversely impact the existing users of the resources" (United States. Bureau of Water Allocation). This translates that the WSA distributes the water equally among the cities or towns of one particular area.
The poor planning is evident as there is only a small amount of allocation left for the up and coming housing developments planned for Vineland. This is approximately one percent of allocation (Saffioti Sr., Frank J.). In the past year, there has been a number of six hundred and fifty plus houses planned for housing developments. This is twenty times the amount of houses proposed five years ago (Giselle, Sotelo).
Some people tend to think that the lack of water allocation is actually a good thing because it will slow down the housing boom and the suburban sprawl that is apparently happening in Vineland. However, if the continued growth of Vineland is to be put on hold, naturally it would impact our community’s economy. For example, contractors such as builders, plumbers, electricians, and other workers would not have steady work. It would also affect the local stores because not as many people would purchase necessary materials for their home. In addition, increased housing developments provide more taxes for the city from perspective homeowners. Therefore, putting a halt to the current planned developments could have a domino effect on the overall positive growth of the city and the well-being of its economy.
New Jersey as far back as 1999 has been working to ensure that the water systems in its communities are properly maintained. " In accordance with section 1420© of The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, each state is required to develop and implement a strategy to assist existing systems in acquiring and maintaining capacity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency approved New Jersey’s Capacity Development Strategy on September 28, 2000" (United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water).
The first obvious approach to resolving the water supply problem would be for Mayor Barse to apply for increased water allocations to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. "The DWSRF serves as the primary source of funding for implementing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s capacity development strategy. The NJDEP is allowed to set aside up to ten percent of each capitalization grant for state program management activities, which includes funding the Capacity Development Program. In addition, the NJDEP is allowed to set aside two percent of each capitalization grant for small water system technical assistants and fifteen percent of each capitalization grant for activities to assist development and/or implementation of source water protection, well head protection, and capacity development" (United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water).
Ultimately, the city of Vineland must maintain a balance that permits new construction to meet the state requirements regarding the water allocation set by the NJDEP. If they do not abide by the water allocations, they will have to face stiff penalties. More importantly, continuing to build at such a rapid pace knowing that the water supply is at stake is a serious matter. Therefore, Vineland needs to take a good look to see if the continued rapid housing growth will adversely affect our water supply. If so, builders should not be permitted to construct too many more housing developments in Vineland.
MLA Documentation
Works Cited
1.) Vineland, New Jersey. Wikipedia Encyclopedia. Updated November 15, 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vineland,_New_Jersey . Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
2.) United States. Bureau of Water Allocation. Water Supply Administration; About Water Supply; Water Allocation. Trenton, NJ. Updated August 18, 2005. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/alocatin.htm . Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
3.) Giselle, Sotelo. "Vineland Searches for an Oasis." The Daily Journal. News. 984 words. Printed November 17, 2005. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_site=thedailyjournal&f_site=thedailyjournal&f_sitename=Daily+Journal%2C+The+%28Vineland%2C+NJ%29&p_theme=gannett&p_product=VDJB&p_action=search&p_field_base-0=&p_text_base-0=water+Department&Search=Search&p_perpage=10&p_maxdocs=200&p_queryname=700&s_search_type=keyword&p_sort=_rank_%3AD&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date%3AB%2CE&p_text_date-0=-3qzM. Accessed Nov. 30, 2005.
4.) United States. Bureau of Safe Drinking water. Report to the Governor Status on the Implementation of New Jersey’s Capacity Development Program. New Jersey. September 2005. www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/index.html . Accessed Nov. 29, 2005.
5.) Saffioti Sr., Frank J. Licensed Master Plumber, #5578.
Personal Interview. 27 Nov. 2005.
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