Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW's) and industries that want to reclaim their wastewater for beneficial reuse can take advantage of two helpful programs.

The DEP makes low interest loans available for the construction of additional treatment facilities including pumping, metering and conveyance pipelines. These loans are administered by the Division of Water Quality's Municipal Finance and Construction Element. Call (609) 292-8961 for more information about these loans.

There is also a tax incentives program, which provides corporate business tax credit and/or sales tax refunds for treatment and conveyance equipment purchased exclusively for the purpose of reusing effluent from industrial processes. The applicable rules for this program were adopted on December 26, 2002 at N.J.A.C. 7:14D - Determination of Environmental Benefit (DEB) of the Reuse of Further Treated Effluent in Industrial Facilities. Additional information on the DEB Application Form or the Rule may be obtained by visiting the Division of Water Quality's website at www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/bam.htm, or by calling Nicholas Horiates at (609) 633-1208.

How Much Water is Being Reused?

To date, the DEP has incorporated beneficial reuse into several NJPDES/DSW permits. These permits require the facilities to file an annual report listing the amount of water that was reused. The following chart lists the facilities beneficially reusing wastewater along with the amount of water that was reused in calendar year 2002:

For more information regarding the Beneficial Reuse Program, please contact Joe Mannick, Bureau of Point Source Permitting - Region 2, at (609) 292-4860.