This March, DRBC and partners hosted several technical events focused on managing and protecting our shared water resources.

In March 2026, the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Safe Drinking Water Operator Outreach Program and the DRBC offered a free, three-part training series on water loss management for water operators, water managers, water authority personnel, engineers and water system board members working in the Delaware River Basin. 

All training sessions were held at Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pa. and provided an overview on water auditing, metering and billing and leakage management.   

Learn more:

• DRBC Water Audit Program
  
  
• PADEP Safe Drinking Water Operator Outreach

Folks attend the first session of the   water loss management training. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC Sr. Water Resource Engineer Michael Thompson, P.E., presents on DRBC's Water Audit Program. Photo by the DRBC.

DRBC recently hosted the N.J. American Water Resource Association's (NJ-AWRA) Water Leadership Forum.

The meeting featured a presentation on "Water on the West: Why the East Should Care" by Rutgers University Professor Dr. Dan Van Abs. Also on the agenda was the presentation of the 2025 Peter Homack Award to Sussex County Municipal Utility Authority's Nathaniel G. Sajdak. Sajdak was recognized for his work on the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group. 

• Learn more about NJ-AWRA 

Folks gather in DRBC's Goddard Room for the NJ-AWRA Water Leadership Forum. Photo courtesy of NJ-AWRA.	The 2025 Peter Homack Award was given to Sussex County Municipal Utility Authority's Nathaniel G. Sajdak. Photo courtesy of NJ-AWRA.

The DRBC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) partnered this month to host a tabletop exercise simulating a major spill response. The day brought together key regional agencies and water providers to evaluate and enhance emergency response capabilities in the event of a significant spill in the Delaware River.

• View News Release (issued March 26, 2026)
  
  

The exercise hypothesized a catastrophic failure of a railroad bridge crossing the mainstem Delaware River, causing a major train derailment south of Easton, Pa., and Phillipsburg, N.J. In the scenario, tanker cars containing hazardous materials have fallen into the river with the potential to release large quantities of pollutants. The exercise focused on critical aspects of drinking water-focused mitigation and response, including incident notification, operational coordination and utility impacts.

Highlights from the exercise will be shared at the May 14, 2026, meeting of the Subcommittee on Source Water Protection (click to register; opens in new window).

Partners gather to participate in the  spill preparedness exercise. Photo by the DRBC.	The exercise focused on collaboration and coordination amongst partner agencies. Photo by the DRBC.	The exercise focused on collaboration and coordination amongst partner agencies. Photo by the DRBC.