Section Chief: Jan Gheen
Address: 401 East State Street
P.O. Box 426
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0426

Telephone: 609-292-2957

The Northern Permitting Section is responsible for ensuring the protection of surface water and ground water and associated ecosystems as part of the review of applications for water diversions in excess of 100,000 gallons of water per day, as regulated under the New Jersey Water Supply Management Act. Diversions in excess of 50,000 gallons of water per day located within the Highlands Preservation Area are regulated as part of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. This section regulates all ground and surface water diversions in New Jersey’s northern tier counties. This includes water diversions for public water supply, industrial processing and cooling, irrigation, sand and gravel operations, remediation, power generation, and agricultural use. The regulation could take the form of a permit, certification, registration, or permit-by-rule.

The northern tier counties are Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

The Northern Water Allocation Permitting Section prepares technical reviews, resource analyses, and permit decisions for those northern tier counties. The section also addresses water supply needs and permitting in the northern regions of the state where water resources are needed to support smart growth in accordance with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan.

In addition, this section manages and issues certifications for agricultural water use in northern tier counties. An Agricultural Water Usage Certification or Agricultural Water Use Registration must be obtained if a person has the capability to withdraw ground and/or surface water in excess of 100,000 gallons per day for agricultural, aquacultural or horticultural purposes.

The Northern Water Allocation Permitting Section assesses permit compliance and initiates enforcement actions, educates and informs the public and regulated community, and compiles reports on the status of the major reservoir levels.

Working with the United States and New Jersey Geological Surveys, the Delaware River Basin Commission, the New Jersey Water Supply Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Watershed Management, this section works to conduct water supply feasibility studies and water resource evaluations. Such studies are used to evaluate long term water supply planning needs and to provide viable alternatives through the Statewide Water Supply Plan.

Finally, this section participates in various studies and planning efforts for the northern tier counties, including the reassessment of Critical Water Supply Area 1. The State of New Jersey has designated two areas of water supply concern. These are areas where excessive water use poses significant threat to the long-term integrity of the water supply sources.

Critical Water Supply Area 1, declared in 1985, includes portions of Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. There are four affected aquifers in this critical area: the Englishtown, the Upper and Middle Potomac-Raritan-Magothy, and the Wenonah -Mt Laurel. Existing allocations were reduced 40-50 percent within this critical area. The Department can not issue approvals for any new or increased diversions from a critical area affected aquifer, unless it involves approval of a base allocation transfer pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:19-8.6 or if the diversion is used for an exception listed in N.J.A.C. 7:19-8.3(i).

The Water Allocation Permitting Section issues the following:

A Water Allocation Permit is required for the withdrawal of ground and/or surface water in excess of 100,000* gallons of water per day for a period of more than 30 days in a consecutive 365 day period, for purposes other than agriculture, aquaculture or horticulture.

For dewatering in excess of 100,000 gallons of water per day, the project owner must obtain a Temporary Dewatering Allocation Permit, or Dewatering Permit-by-Rule or Short Term Permit-by-Rule depending on the duration of construction and the method employed.

A Short Term Permit-by-Rule must be filed for diversions in excess of 100,000 gallons of water per day that occur over a period of 30 days or less in a calendar year.

A Water Use Registration is required for any person with the capability to divert in excess of 100,000* gallons of water per day, but who withdraws less than this quantity.

An Agricultural Water Usage Certification or Agricultural Water Use Registration must be obtained from the County agricultural agent if a person has the capability to withdraw ground and/or surface water in excess of 100,000 gallons per day for agricultural, aquacultural or horticultural purposes.

*For diversions within the Highlands Preservation Area, the threshold is 50,000 gallons of water per day. Refer to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act for additional information. Diversions within the Delaware River Basin may need approval from the Delaware River Basin Commission.