Gold Star Standard in Water


The Gold Star in Water identifies specific actions and level of performance for municipalities to achieve improvements in water quality, quantity and use. The award of a Gold Star indicates a municipality is making significant progress contribution to meeting Sustainable Jersey’s water goal.

Municipalities can play a significant role in creating a holistic approach to the management of water. Each municipality in New Jersey has its own water profile, shaped by its geography, infrastructure and local concerns. The Gold Star Standard in Water is designed to provide flexibility for municipalities as they develop their own unique path towards sustainability.

Gold Star Standard in Water Requirements

Bronze or Silver certified municipalities can earn a Gold Star in Water if they are approved for implementing a specific combination of four certification program actions – two required and two flexible that relate to your specific municipal issues. The actions that can contribute to meeting the requirements are spread across several action categories including: Health & Wellness, Natural Resources, and Land Use & Transportation.

Specifically, a municipality will need to be approved for:

  1. Two required actions: Natural Resource Inventory and Municipal Water Story including a Navigational Path (both actions are found in Natural Resource category).
  2. A third action selected by the municipality from a list of high impact actions - (the high impact water actions can be found in Health & Wellness and Land Use & Transportation categories). These actions often have different point values, and to count for Gold must be completed at the required tier.
  3. A fourth action can be selected by the municipality from a larger list of actions that advance water sustainability (these water actions can be found in Health & Wellness, Innovative Projects; Natural Resources and Land Use & Transportation categories).

All certification actions successfully completed to meet the Gold Star Standard in Water requirements also count towards Sustainable Jersey certification. All the actions that can contribute towards the Water Gold Star can be viewed here.

How to Apply for the Gold Star Standard in Water

The application for the Gold Star in Water appears in the format of an “action” in the Gold Star Application section of the Municipal Dashboard. The Gold Star Standard in Water application requires the municipality to identify the certification actions it has successfully completed and that are currently approved to meet the Gold Star requirements.

Municipalities seeking the Gold Star in Water would apply during Sustainable Jersey’s annual certification cycle and submit the required information at the same time they submit their application for Bronze or Silver certification. It is recommended that a municipality wait until the second or final application submission deadline to submit the Gold Star Standard in Water action if meeting the requirements is contingent on actions being approved in their municipal certification application.

View Gold Star Standard in Water Action

Informational Video

Learn from our Program Manager of Policy and Planning, Anne Heasly, about updates to existing water-related actions, as well as new guidance to address some of your municipality’s most pressing issues including stormwater runoff, flooding, poor water quality in streams and rivers, and clean drinking water while working toward Water Gold.

 

Questions about the Gold Star Standard in Water?

Contact Anne Heasly, Program Manger of Policy & Planning, at heaslya@tcnj.edu or 609-771-2865.