For Immediate Release

March 26, 2026

(West Trenton, N.J.) -- On March 19, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) hosted a tabletop exercise simulating a major spill response in collaboration with key agencies and water providers in the region. The day brought together stakeholders to evaluate and enhance emergency response capabilities in the event of a significant spill in the Delaware River.

The exercise objective was to bring agencies and water utilities together to better understand roles and responsibilities; explore how to support one another in a time of emergency; and ensure the respective emergency response plans capture this information in the event of a real emergency.

The DRBC partnered on the training with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard who each play a role as responding agencies in the region. The exercise was designed by members of DRBC's Subcommittee on Source Water Protection to educate and prepare partners on this topic.

Highlights from the exercise will be shared at the next meeting of the Subcommittee on Source Water Protection on May 14, 2026.

Following a March 2023 spill that reached the Delaware River, the DRBC convened drinking water suppliers to discuss forming a source water protection group. These efforts would lead, in 2024, to the launch of a source water protection subcommittee of the DRBC's Water Management Advisory Committee. Additionally, the DRBC and the Coast Guard identified opportunities to engage in more training and coordination.

"This exercise highlights the important support the DRBC provides to our regulated community on behalf of our Basin communities," said Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, the DRBC's Executive Director. "By connecting partners in our region and readying them to respond quickly and effectively to situations that could impact our shared water resources, we are enhancing water security for the region."

"This tabletop exercise was an important opportunity to strengthen coordination and preparedness for potential drinking water emergencies," said Christopher Anderson, Regional Source Water Protection Coordinator with EPA Region 3. "Exercises like this help ensure that, in the event of a real-world spill, we can act quickly and collaboratively to protect public health and critical water resources."

"Coordinated response is critical during a spill incident, especially when drinking water resources may be at risk. By working through these scenarios together, we are improving our shared ability to communicate, make timely decisions and effectively protect both the environment and the communities we serve," said Lieutenant Commander Josh McElhaney of the U.S. Coast Guard.

"This tabletop exercise reflects PADEP's core mission to protect Pennsylvania's air, land and water resources, and builds on the real-world lessons we've learned from recent spill responses across the Commonwealth," said Brian Moore, Director of Emergency Response at the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection.

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. As the primary drinking water source for several major urban areas in the Basin, any contamination event of this type would pose significant challenges for the region's water utilities.

"Last week's training was a valuable opportunity for agencies and partners to practice the best ways to mitigate and respond to a major incident posing a risk to human health and safety," said Matthew Fritch of the Philadelphia Water Department. "It also highlighted the utility of the Delaware Valley Early Warning System, an emergency communication system created to protect our drinking water by providing rapid notification to subscribers in the lower Delaware River watershed following events that could impact water quality."

"The exercise was unique in that it focused on spill response coordination with drinking water utilities. We appreciated the chance to learn and connect with so many of our counterparts and agencies," said Kristi English, Senior Source Water Protection Program Manager with Pennsylvania American Water.

Participants included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Regions 2 and 3; U.S. Coast Guard – Sector Delaware Bay; Pa. Department of Environmental Protection; N.J. Department of Environmental Protection; Philadelphia Water Department; Pennsylvania American Water; New Jersey American Water; Aqua Pennsylvania; Lower Bucks Joint Municipal Authority; Trenton Water Works; Morrisville Municipal Authority; Northampton County Emergency Management; Bucks County Office of Emergency Management; Mercer County Planning; New Jersey Water Supply Authority; and Norfolk Southern Corp.

The exercise focused on critical aspects of drinking water-focused mitigation and response, including incident notification, operational coordination and utility impacts.

The DRBC is a federal/interstate government agency created in 1961 by concurrent compact legislation, marking the first time that the federal government and a group of states joined together as equal partners in a river basin planning, development and regulatory agency. The five Commission members are the governors of the Basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government.

To learn more about the Commission, please visit www.drbc.gov or follow DRBC on X at @DRBC1961.

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Contacts: 

Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth.Brown@drbc.gov 

Kate Schmidt, Kate.Schmidt@drbc.gov 

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