The Delaware River Basin provides drinking water for around 14.2 million people, but that is now at risk due to the rising threat of saltwater intrusion in the Delaware River, writes for the Delaware Currents.
Currently, the location of the salt front is normal for this time of year, but the issue comes from the saltwater intrusion in the background.
“In any estuary, any place where there’s a mixture of freshwater and seawater happening, there is a balance between seawater pushing in on high tides, and then that seawater flowing back out on lower tides and freshwater flowing in,” said Charles Schutte, a biogeochemist and an assistant professor of environmental science at Rowan University.
The process becomes alarming when seawater pushes farther up the river than usual, potentially reaching local water intake plants. If that happens, those plants could deliver water unsuitable for drinking to their users.
The risk stems from drought since the Delaware River is fed by rainfall. With less rain, there is not enough freshwater to hold back the Delaware Bay, allowing it to creep upriver.
Officials have used reservoir storage to respond to the drought, releasing water to help push freshwater farther downstream.
To learn how scientists and officials are working to protect our region’s drinking water from this growing threat, read the full story on Delaware Currents.
