Who gets their water from Delaware River?

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.



The Delaware River basin provides essential drinking water for approximately 17 million people, which is about 5% of the total U.S. population. This includes residents of four major states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Remarkably, the river is the primary water source for two of the nation's five largest cities: New York City and Philadelphia. For NYC, while the city is not located within the Delaware Basin, it draws roughly half of its daily water supply from three massive reservoirs in the river's upper reaches in the Catskill Mountains. Philadelphia, on the other hand, sits directly on the river and draws about 60% of its water from the Delaware and its tributary, the Schuylkill. In 2026, the management of this water is a complex interstate effort led by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which balances the needs of these urban centers with agricultural use, industrial cooling, and the protection of endangered species like the Atlantic Sturgeon. The river remains one of the most economically and biologically vital waterways in the Eastern United States.

People Also Ask

While the entire tidal river is part of the estuary, salinity levels vary from the Delaware Bay (saltwater) to Wilmington, Del. (brackish) to Philadelphia, Pa. and Trenton, N.J. (mostly freshwater).

MORE DETAILS

The Delaware River Basin provides drinking water for more than 13 million people across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. “In certain areas of the basin, specifically in southern Delaware, South Jersey, it's the sole source of drinking water.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Drinking water for our approximately 225,000 customers comes from the Delaware River. The Delaware is the longest un-dammed river in the United States east of the Mississippi, extending 330 miles from the confluence of its East and West branches at Hancock, N.Y.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Here are some of the most important tips for having a safe and fun time on the river: Always wear a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD) in the water. Never drink alcohol and swim. Never try to swim across the river.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

From Pennsylvania, the major tributaries are the Lackawaxen, Lehigh, and Schuylkill rivers. From New Jersey, the Big Flatbrook, Pequest, Musconetcong, and Maurice rivers, plus Oldmans, Raccoon and Rancocas creeks, flow into the Delaware.

MORE DETAILS

Resident species like smallmouth bass, channel catfish, hybrid muskellunge, bullhead, white perch, and walleye pike thrive in the river. The river's tributaries maintain stocked trout.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

No contaminants from the Bristol Township spill have been detected in the Delaware River water: tap water continues to be safe. Residents should continue to use tap water as they normally would.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS