Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez
MONMOUTH BEACH, N.J. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined with Governor Phil Murphy, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06), and New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal to highlight the commencement of the Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority (TRWRA) sewer/pump station project, to which the Murphy Administration will commit $20 million in federal grant funding. The two-part project in Monmouth County will replace more than 3,000 feet of sewer line and relocate a critical main pump station. Together, these measures will bolster the resilience of crucial wastewater and stormwater infrastructure while safeguarding the station and surrounding communities from future storms.
“The reality is that because of climate change, we’re seeing what were once 100-year floods more and more frequently. In some cases, we’ve seen them in consecutive years or even more often, and we simply can’t afford to be playing those odds with our critical infrastructure,” said Sen. Menendez. “This federal and state investment for the Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority will play an essential role in ensuring that coastal communities in Monmouth County are protected for generations to come. I was proud to advocate along with Congressman Pallone for this federal funding of $20 million to support the project.”
TRWRA’s water treatment and collection systems serve 90,000 people in six member towns (Fair Haven, Little Silver, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Shrewsbury, and West Long Branch), six customer towns (Eatontown, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury Township, and Tinton Falls), and two military bases. Its facilities include 200 miles of sanitary sewer mains, 18 pump stations, and nine meter chambers.
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“Thanks in no small part to the tireless work of FEMA and our congressional delegation, this project will help protect tens of thousands of New Jerseyans from future storms and flooding,” said New Jersey Governor Murphy. “Crucially, by committing federal dollars toward the overhaul of this critical infrastructure, the State will realize a considerable return on its investment of FEMA resilience funding without imposing additional taxpayer burdens. It’s smart, forward-looking investments like these that will better prepare and protect our local communities and economies against the worsening impacts of climate change.”
“New Jersey’s resilience against the effects of future storms has been one of my top priorities ever since Superstorm Sandy devastated our state over ten years ago,” said Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. “This funding will help make critical improvements to the sewer line and pump station that will safeguard our rivers and surrounding waters from a devastating sewage spill and future flooding events. I’m grateful to Governor Murphy, Senator Menendez, and Senator Gopal for their support of this project and our coastal communities.”
“We need 21st century infrastructure to support the Monmouth County of the future and protect us against extreme weather events like major flooding,” said Senator Vin Gopal. “These projects are fundamental to keeping our communities clean, healthy and prepared. Thanks to this infusion of funding, Monmouth County will have a modernized infrastructure to safeguard our communities and natural resources. This will be instrumental during storm events to keep our homes, businesses and beaches disaster free.”
“The Authority is eager to start this critical project and appreciates the Governor and Legislators working for Two Rivers to get this Grant to decrease the impact on our ratepayers,” said Michael Gianforte, Executive Director of TRWRA.
Sen. Menendez has long been a leader in the fight to increase flood protections for New Jersey residents. In May, Sens. Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced a combined total of $8.8 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to mitigate flood risks in the City of Bayonne and in Rutherford, NJ. In March, Sen. Menendez joined with Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. to hold a groundbreaking ceremony with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for the Union Beach flood control project to reduce flooding and better protect the area from rising seas and future catastrophic weather events. In March, Senators Menendez and Kennedy introduced the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Consultant Accountability Act of 2023 to protect homeowners who are victims of natural disasters from working with third parties that are found guilty of property damage assessment fraud.
During a Senate Banking Committee hearing in April, Sen. Menendez emphasized the importance of keeping flood insurance affordable to lower housing costs for working families and highlighted the reintroduction of the bipartisan National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform (NFIP-RE) Act coming soon. In the same month, Sens. Menendez, Cory Booker, Kristen Gillibrand and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act to improve water quality and increased flood protections for residents near these vital water resources.
Sen. Menendez has been the leading advocate in Congress for an overhaul of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), since Superstorm Sandy devastated New Jersey 10 years ago. The NFIP-RE Act, which Sen. Menendez plans to reintroduce soon, would extend the program for five years, while implementing a series of sweeping reforms to address the waste, abuse and mismanagement plaguing the system. Sen. Menendez first exposed the problem of widespread lowballing of flood insurance claims during Congressional hearings, he chaired in 2014, and then successfully pushed FEMA to reopen every Sandy flood insurance claim for review, which compensated Sandy victims with more than $260 million in additional payments they were initially denied.
Sen. Menendez authored the Superstorm Sandy Relief and Disaster Loan Program Improvement Act, which extended and expanded access to federal disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). His Homeowner’s Flood Insurance Affordability Act was signed into law in 2014 to address skyrocketing rates many Sandy survivors were encountering. In 2013, the Senator shepherded the original $50 billion federal Sandy aid package through Congress.
For event photos, click HERE.
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