New Jersey § 58:1a-2

§ 58:1a-2.

The Legislature finds and declares that the water resources of the State are public

assets of the State held in trust for its citizens and are essential to the health,

safety, economic welfare, recreational and aesthetic enjoyment, and general welfare,

of the people of New Jersey; that ownership of these assets is in the State as trustee

of the people; that because some areas within the State do not have enough water

to meet their current needs and provide an adequate margin of safety, the water resources

of the State and any water brought into the State must be planned for and managed

as a common resource from which the requirements of the several regions and localities

in the State shall be met; that the present regulatory system for these water resources

is ineffective and counterproductive; that it is necessary to insure that within

each basin there exist adequate water supplies to accommodate present and future needs;

that to ensure an adequate supply and quality of water for citizens of the State,

both present and future, and to protect the natural environment of the waterways of

the State, it is necessary that the State, through its Department of Environmental

Protection, have the power to manage the water supply by adopting a uniform water

diversion permit system and fee schedule, a monitoring, inspection and enforcement

program, a program to study and manage the State's water resources and plan for emergencies

and future water needs, and regulations to manage the waters of the State during water

supply and water quality emergencies.