Does New Jersey get water from the Delaware River?

Supports the water needs of two of the nation's largest cities: Philadelphia and New York City, as well as ~one million people in northern New Jersey. Consumptive Use: Over 850 million gallons a day; this is water withdrawn from the Basin but not returned.



Yes, New Jersey is heavily reliant on the Delaware River, which provides drinking water for over 3 million residents in the state as of 2026. The water is primarily diverted via the Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Canal, which carries up to 100 million gallons of water a day from the river at Bull’s Island to the Raritan Basin. This system is the lifeblood of central New Jersey, feeding major reservoirs and supply systems that serve towns from Trenton to New Brunswick. Additionally, the river's flow is vital for recharging the aquifers in the southern part of the state. Because New Jersey is at the "tail end" of the river's flow, the state is an active member of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), ensuring that upstream states like New York and Pennsylvania don't over-consume or pollute the water before it reaches the Jersey shore.

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The chemicals released into the Delaware River include butyl acrylate, a flammable liquid used to manufacture paints, coatings, caulks, sealants, and adhesives. The same chemical was also released into a river in East Palestine, Ohio as a result of the Norfolk Southern train derailment.

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However, the most famous fact about the Delaware River is the famous crossing of it by George Washington in 1776 which helped him successfully surprise Hessian troops in New Jersey during the American Revolution.

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Salt in Our Water — Saltwater Intrusion and Inundation in Delaware. It happens more frequently when it hasn't rained for a while, usually in the summer. People will call the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to report a salty taste in their water.

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For its size, the Upper Delaware River contains some of the highest water quality in the eastern United States. The upper portion of the watershed remains largely forested. These forests act as a natural buffer against pollution and erosion by filtering water, which is very important for maintaining water quality.

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There are bull shark occasionally in the Delaware river. One was caught in a net in 1908 basically across the river from where the Philly Airport is today.

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On March 24, 2023, the Trinseo Altuglas chemical plant in Bristol, Pennsylvania in the United States had an equipment failure that resulted in a leak of between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and methyl methacrylate into Otter Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River.

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LIFEBLOOD OF THE NORTHEAST More than 17 million people get their drinking water from the Delaware River basin, including two of the five largest cities in the U.S.—New York City and Philadelphia.

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