Bucco, Dunn Push to Protect Water Sources Through DEP Stewardship Program

by New Jersey Senate Republicans

Sen. Anthony M. Bucco and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25) introduced legislation this week to safeguard the critical sources of streams and rivers that supply clean drinking water through a headwaters guardianship program in the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Under the bill (A-6093/S-4897), municipalities would be designated headwater guardians by the DEP if they are home to the beginning of a waterway that serves as the primary source of drinking water for at least 1 million residents.

“Protecting our drinking water starts with protecting the places where our streams and rivers begin,” said Bucco. “The Headwaters Guardianship program is a smart, proactive step that would ensure the DEP is actively safeguarding these critical sources so we can preserve clean, reliable water for our communities for generations to come.”

“Communities where headwaters are located have a great responsibility to protect the health of our watersheds. Runoff, sediment and nutrients at the source of our waterways impacts the quality of the entire system. Our bill would recognize municipalities for their efforts that ensure residents have clean drinking water,” Dunn (R-Morris) said.

The lawmakers, who are working with Mendham Alliance for Preservation & Conservation on the issue, stressed the bill provides a stewardship framework and is not a regulatory mandate. It elevates municipalities that are already invested in caring for their headwaters while allowing the DEP to tailor any protections based on local conditions.

“This bill is not about bureaucracy, it’s about improving resilience, mitigating flood damage and reducing long-term costs for municipalities by proactively identifying environmental protections afforded to headwaters,” Dunn said. “It creates a stewardship program for eco-conscious communities, increases transparency and the public’s role in protecting our waterways.”

Municipalities designated as headwater guardians and any environmental protections determined necessary by the DEP would be published on the agency’s website. Both the designations and proposed protections would be subject to a public comment period of at least 30 days. The DEP would also be required to submit a report on the program and make recommendations for interagency coordination to the governor and Legislature.