WEST TRENTON, N.J. – At its quarterly business meeting on Thursday, December 5, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) passed resolutions declaring a “water supply emergency” and issuing two special permits to coordinate the operation of regional reservoirs, out-of-Basin water diversions and Delaware River flow objectives if basinwide drought conditions are reached. 

According to the DRBC, basinwide drought conditions are defined by available water storage in three New York City reservoirs - Cannonsville, Repacton and Neversink located in the Delaware River’s headwaters in New York. 

A significant, months-long rainfall shortage has been experienced throughout the basin, meaning basinwide drought operating conditions remain despite recent precipitation. During this time, the DRBC has continued actively managing regional water resources to ensure the main stem Delaware River has an adequate water flow. 

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

The first special permit issued, according to the DRBC, under Section 10.4 of the Delaware River Basin Compact, “provides for temporary and aligned management in the event that a Basinwide drought is reached in the coming weeks.”`

This special permit has the following terms according to the DRBC:

The commission’s drought curves - the transition between normal, drought watch, drought warning and drought emergency operations - will be based on the combined storage of the three NYC Reservoirs as agreed upon in the latest adaptive management program if the parties to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree. As of Monday morning, December 9, storage was 25 billion gallons (BG) above drought watch. 

Out-of-basin diversions to NYC and portions of New Jersey will be adjusted under the drought operation stages defined by the special permit. 

The Delaware River flow objectives at Montague, N.J. and Trenton, N.J. will be reduced under the drought operation stages defined by the special permit. 

The aforementioned terms of the special permit have been unanimously approved by the parties to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York State and New York City. 

The second special permit to be issued after being agreed upon by all parties is that water released from Lake Wallenpaupack and the Mongaup system can, under certain conditions, assist in meeting the main stem flow objectives at Montague and Trenton. 

“The DRBC also has the responsibility to protect water availability throughout the Delaware River Basin,” said DRBC Communications Specialist Kate Schmidt in a press release. “Under the terms of [Thursday’s] declared water emergency, after consultation with the host state, the DRBC’s executive director may take action to address interference by otherwise unregulated groundwater withdrawals if the interference is impairing groundwater sources vital to human health or sanitation.”

The above actions were taken by the DRBC after they had gathered public input at a special public hearing on Tuesday, November 19 regarding the persistent dry conditions and how to address them.

Schmidt also said that the declaration of the water supply emergency reflects continued stressed conditions throughout the Basin and is “distinct from a declaration of drought emergency by the DRBC or any other jurisdiction.”

Due to the below-normal precipitation totals throughout most of the Basin, 40 of the 42 counties in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York, that are located entirely or partially in the Basin have declared drought watches or warnings.