Projects & Programs - Green Infrastructure Program

Green Infrastructure for the City of Perth Amboy

With funding provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program has partnered with the City of Perth Amboy to develop a community-based green infrastructure initiative within the city. The goal of the initiative is to increase the development of green infrastructure demonstration projects within the City of Perth Amboy to help reduce the impacts associated with the 16 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) throughout the community.

As part of this initial funding, the framework for the City of Perth Amboy municipal action team was created. A municipal action team, as defined by the RCE Water Resources Program, is a collaborative group created to set an agenda for community-based green infrastructure. The goal of this action team, called Perth Amboy SWIM (Stormwater Infrastructure Management) is to foster collaboration and collective action to address issues related to quality of life, stormwater pollution, flooding, and economic development through the strategic implementation of green infrastructure practices, educational programming, and public outreach in the City of Perth Amboy.  Members of the municipal action team work together to define the needs and opportunities for green infrastructure throughout the city; educate residents and community leaders; address permit and long term control plan requirements; and leverage funding to design and implement green infrastructure demonstration projects.

This funding will focus on identifying sites for green infrastructure opportunities throughout the city to capture, treat, and infiltrate (where possible) stormwater runoff.  By capturing this runoff, nonpoint source pollution in waterways will be reduced as stormwater is captured, filtered, and infiltrated with green infrastructure tools and techniques.  By May 2017, the following objectives will be completed by the project partners:

Objective 1: Establish a community-based green infrastructure action network

  • Perth Amboy GIS Web Map

Objective 2: Develop green infrastructure feasibility study and action plan

Objective 3: Design and implement (10-20) green infrastructure demonstration projects

Objective 4: Develop maintenance plans and inspections.

Project Funding Source: 
NJDEP 319(h)

Contacts:
Christopher C. Obropta, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences 
Extension Specialist in Water Resources
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 848-932-5711/Fax:732-932-8644
obropta@envsci.rutgers.edu 

Michelle Hartmann
Project Associate
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 848-932-6711/Fax:732-932-8644
mlhart@envsci.rutgers.edu


Water Resources Program at Rutgers NJAES