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Collaborative
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers' Mission
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers is a campaign and coalition encouraging solutions to sewer overflows into rivers and dirty wastewater flooding into streets and homes through collaboration with community and statewide organizations.
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers' Focus
Addressing the impacts of combined sewer overflow (CSO) felt by the 21 cities and towns in New Jersey with combined sewer systems. When it rains in communities with this system, raw sewage pours into rivers and backs up into basements and onto streets. This is known as a CSO.
Advocating for funding solutions where the cost for upgrades will be felt by residents and businesses in municipalities that are struggling to address multiple issues, from a history of industrial contamination and private sector disinvestment to the pressures of revitalization.
Ensuring a reduction in waterway contamination, which currently limits access to waterways and beaches due to dangerous bacteria. This contamination also accounts for the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including sea level rise and intensifying flooding.
SFSR focuses on empowering you and your community to ensure that your voice is part of shaping affordable solutions that keep residents healthy, invest in local jobs and businesses, and create more green spaces that promote climate resiliency.
Advancing Solutions & Community Power Building
Advancing Solutions
Green and gray infrastructure solutions can capture stormwater and reduce sewage overflows. SFSR also provides fact sheets on how project costs and implementation affect your community.
Community Engagement
Community voice plays a vital role in building awareness and implementing CSO solutions. Initiatives such as the Community Leadership Action Program enhance advocacy and leadership skills to help your community solve these problems and provide access to a growing network of peers who are making an impact.
Finding Fair Funding
How these crucial upgrades will be funded and who will pay for them has yet to be determined. SFSR can connect you with local partners and provide you with more information on fair funding solutions.
