Delaware River Basin Commission declares water supply emergency

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

The agency responsible for managing water supply and quality in the Delaware River watershed declared a water supply emergency Thursday as dry conditions in the region persist.

The declaration does not trigger an immediate response, but allows the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to oversee operations of regional reservoirs, divert water from outside the 42-county basin area and manage Delaware River flow objectives should drought conditions worsen.

The last time such an emergency was declared was during the 2016 drought.

“Over 14 million people rely on the shared waters of the Delaware River Basin,” said DRBC Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh in a statement. “During times of drought, the DRBC’s primary responsibility is to conserve and protect water supplies.”

The region faced record dry conditions in September and October, the likes of which have not been seen in more than a century.

Not only has the 10-inch rain deficit increased the risk of wildfires, but the dry conditions have also caused water supplies to diminish in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, prompting drought warnings and watches throughout the region.

The DRBC said the water supply emergency allows the agency to take action if water storage levels should significantly reduce in three New York reservoirs — Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink.

The DRBC could approve water releases from reservoirs in New York and eastern Pennsylvania to help meet targets for the amount of water flowing down the river past Montague and Trenton, N.J. The agency could also release water from Pennsylvania’s Lake Wallenpaupack and New York’s Mongaup River system.

The DRBC said it will continue to direct releases from upstream reservoirs to repel the salt front from creeping up toward Philadelphia’s drinking water intakes.