58:1A-2 - Legislative findings and declarations

58:1A-2.  Legislative findings and declarations
    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.

     L.1981, c. 262, s. 2, eff. Aug. 13, 1981.