A3081

An Act concerning stormwater infrastructure mapping and supplementing Title 58 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “High Tech Culvert and Drainage Mapping Act.”

2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. many counties, towns, and municipalities, particularly older communities, lack accurate records of existing stormwater infrastructure, including culverts, drains, and underground pipes;

b. incomplete or outdated stormwater data impairs flood prevention, emergency response, and infrastructure repair and replacement;

c. advances in drone and LIDAR technology provide a cost-effective and efficient method to survey and document such infrastructure; and

d. a centralized, comprehensive mapping system is necessary to improve the State’s ability to manage stormwater, reduce flooding, and plan infrastructure upgrades.

3. As used in this act:

“Department” means the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Stormwater infrastructure” means culverts, drains, underground pipes, channels, and related features designed to manage stormwater runoff.

“LIDAR” means light detection and ranging technology used to create high-resolution maps through laser scanning.

"Local government unit" means a county or a municipality, or any agency, authority, board, commission, or other instrumentality thereof, any two or more counties or municipalities operating jointly through a joint meeting or interlocal services agreement permitted by law, or any agency, authority, board, commission, or other instrumentality thereof, and any other local or regional entity created by the Legislature as a political subdivision of the State, or any agency, authority, board, commission, or other instrumentality thereof.

4. a. The Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Department of Transportation, counties, and local government units,, shall establish and implement a program, through which the department shall survey and map stormwater infrastructure throughout the State using drone and LIDAR technology.

b. In establishing the program, the department shall prioritize mapping in towns, local government units, and municipalities with aging, undocumented, or vulnerable infrastructure.

c. All data collected under the program shall be stored in a centralized geospatial database maintained by the department and shall be made accessible to relevant State, county, and municipal entities.

5. No later than one year after implementation of the program established pursuant to section 4 of this act, and annually thereafter, the department shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature detailing, at a minimum, the areas surveyed under the program, the data collected under the program, and the regions that still require surveying and mapping under the program.

6. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection is authorized to expend such sums from the existing administrative and discretionary grant or aid accounts of the department, or apply for federal grants or appropriations, as required to implement the provisions of this act.

7. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

8. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill, entitled the “High Tech Culvert and Drainage Mapping Act,” requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Department of Transportation, counties, and local government units to establish a program for the DEP to survey and map stormwater infrastructure across New Jersey using advanced technologies such as drones and LIDAR.

The Legislature finds that many local government units, especially older ones, lack complete and accurate records of stormwater infrastructure like culverts, drains, and underground pipes. This lack of data impairs efforts to prevent flooding, respond to emergencies, and maintain or upgrade aging systems. By leveraging LIDAR and drone technology, this program would enable the efficient creation of high-resolution infrastructure maps.

Under the bill, the DEP would prioritize mapping efforts in municipalities with aging or undocumented infrastructure. The data collected would be stored in a centralized geospatial database and shared with relevant agencies at all levels of government. The DEP would also be required to report annually on progress made and areas still needing to be mapped. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection may use existing funds or pursue federal funding to implement the program.