Joseph Mattle, Supervising Environmental Engineer
401 East State Street
PO Box 426
Trenton NJ 08625-0426

Telephone: 609-633-1981
Email: joseph.mattle@dep.state.nj.us

The Statewide Issues Office was created within the Division of Water Supply to initiate and develop long-term water supply policies and strategies that allow for the comprehensive water resource management of New Jersey’s ground and surface water supplies. Under the Director of the Division of Water Supply, the Statewide Issues Office coordinates the development of the New Jersey State Water Supply Plan, provides support to the Water Supply Advisory Council and provides water supply policy input on State and regional water supply plans to ensure that these plans are consistent with the Department’s policies. The Statewide Issues Office works in conjunction with the Department’s Division of Watershed Management and the Division of Water Quality on water resource issues pertaining to water quality management planning and Reclaimed Water for Beneficial Reuse.

The primary responsibility of the office is the development of the New Jersey State Water Supply Plan (NJSWSP) and its periodic revision are mandated by the 1981 Water Supply Management Act (N.J.S.A. 58:1A-1 et. seq.). The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection adopted the first plan in 1982 and the first major revision in 1996. The current update to the NJSWSP is scheduled to be completed by January 2007. The NJSWSP will provide a blue print to guide the management, conservation and development of the State’s water resources during the next 50 years. Also, the NJSWSP will help to ensure that sufficient quantities of water supplies are available to all parts of New Jersey while balancing water quality and ecosystem health concerns.

Currently, the Statewide Issues Office is also working on two other major initiatives:

• Statewide Water Conservation Initiative
  
• Water Supply Demonstration Projects