58:22-4. Acquisition of water supply facilities; expenditures; duties of department

The department shall, through the division or otherwise (a) Plan, design, develop, acquire, construct, and place in operation and maintain the following water supply facilities and may expend or commit from the proceeds of the New Jersey Water Bond Act, 1958, an amount not exceeding $39,500,000.00 for the cost thereof: (1) A reservoir of approximately 55 billion gallons capacity in the area, commonly known as Round Valley, located in the county of Hunterdon, acquired or in the process of being acquired pursuant to the provisions of chapter 60 of the laws of 1956, hereinafter referred to as the Round Valley reservoir; together with such works, structures, pumping plants, pipelines, force mains, and other facilities as may be necessary or useful to divert or pump water thereto, release water therefrom, and provide for the storage of water therein. The source of waters for said reservoir shall be either or both the south branch of the Raritan river or the Delaware river, exclusive of its tributaries. (2) A reservoir of approximately 10 billion gallons capacity to be created by the construction of a dam or dams on Spruce Run and Mulhockaway creek tributaries of the south branch of the Raritan river, located northwest of the town of Clinton in the county of Hunterdon, hereinafter referred to as the Spruce Run reservoir; together with such works and facilities as may be necessary or useful for the storage of waters and to regulate the flow in the south branch of the Raritan river and of the Raritan river above and below its confluence with the Millstone river. (b) Carry out a 10-year program of detailed geological and hydrological studies and ground-water investigations, inventories and reports throughout the State by means of test drillings, observation wells, and any other means necessary to determine ground-water resources, quality, and supply potentials, and may expend or commit from the proceeds of said bond act an amount not exceeding $125,000.00 in any 1 year plus any unexpended or uncommitted balance from any prior year or years and $1,250,000.00 overall for the cost thereof. (c) By studies, tests and actual field experiments, determine the practicability and suitability in this State of developing and utilizing natural ground-water storage to supplement on-stream reservoir storage as a source of water supply, and may expend or commit from the proceeds of said bond act an amount not exceeding $100,000.00 for the cost thereof. (d) Continue to research, plan and design ways and means of improving stream flows in the Raritan Watershed or in the Millstone Watershed or both, whether by river regulation reservoirs, pumping, flow diversion, water re-use, or other means, or any combination thereof, deemed practicable to meet the needs of the area or areas; and acquire, as and when authorized specifically by law after public hearing, real property in any area in said watersheds as shall be suitable as a site or sites for the establishment of an additional water supply facility or facilities including any real property in any area in said watersheds where the utilization of natural ground-water storage to supplement on-stream reservoir storage as a source of water supply is determined to be practicable and suitable. The proceeds of said bond act in an amount not exceeding in the aggregate $3,000,000.00 may be expended or committed for the costs thereof. (e) Continue to research, plan and design ways and means of improving stream flows in any other area or areas, whether by river regulation reservoirs, pumping, flow diversion, water reuse, or other means, or any combination thereof, deemed practicable to meet the needs of the area or areas; and acquire, as and when authorized by law after public hearing, real property in any such area or areas as shall be suitable as a site or sites for the establishment of an additional water supply facility or facilities including any real property in any such area or areas where the utilization of natural ground-water storage to supplement on-stream reservoir storage as a source of water supply is determined to be practicable and suitable. The proceeds of said bond act in an amount not exceeding in the aggregate $2,000,000.00 may be expended or committed for the costs thereof. L.1958, c. 34, p. 99, s. 4.