Our Shared Waters: A Look at the Delaware River Basin is a DRBC-managed public outreach effort of multiple Delaware River Basin stakeholder groups, including non-profits, businesses and government organizations.

Program Goals

  • Educate the public and decisionmakers about the current state of the Basin and its critical role in supporting clean, healthy water for drinking and other everyday needs, as well as about the opportunities available to play a role in its continued sustainability.

  • Connect people to their local waterways, to one another and with the bigger picture – we're all a part of the Delaware River Basin.

  • Uplift the voices of our publics, stakeholders and partners who have a shared interest in protecting our water resources.

  • Share information, connect with and learn about what partner organizations are doing in the Basin.

  • Inform about DRBC public input opportunities

Through education, outreach, information sharing, recreation and experiential learning, the millions of people who depend on the waters of the Delaware River Basin will have a better understanding of its importance and how they too can play a part in protecting its waters – our shared waters – for current and future generations.

Program Background

As DRBC was putting the finishing touches on its 2019 State of the Basin Report, we realized that, in addition to sharing the Commission's view of the state of the Basin, we also wanted to create a comprehensive overview of the Basin’s waters by including inputs from a wide range of stakeholders, including public and private water purveyors, NGOs, non-profits and residents. 

Further, we wanted to create a broad outreach campaign - encompassing an online/digital presence, community event participation, and experiential opportunities for Basin residents - to share information about the Basin's waters, as well as help our partners spread the word about their organizations, upcoming events and activities to a Basin-wide audience. 

DRBC submitted an application to the William Penn Foundation (WPF) to support this effort, which was granted in early 2019. WPF funded the program through June 2023.

Today, the program is the DRBC's outreach and community engagement arm, bringing together a partnership of agencies, organizations and businesses all working towards clean, sustainable, secure and shared water resources. The OSW Facebook page and website remain active, and new partners continue to join. Learn more below.

Learn More about Our Shared Waters (OSW)

• Our Shared Waters (OSW) Website
  
  
• OSW Partners
  
  
• OSW Quarterly Updates for Partners
  
  
• OSW Blogs
  
  
• OSW on Facebook
  
  
• OSW Flyer (pdf)
  
  
• OSW Activities Archive

Interested in Joining Our Shared Waters?

• Email Beth Brown at elizabeth.brown@drbc.gov

Virtual and In-Person Partner Events

Staff enjoys connecting with Basin community members, whether in-person or virtual, to teach about our watershed. We also love to engage with partners old and new.

  • Stay tuned to our Newsbytes section to see what we've been up to!

Partner Newsletter

DRBC has a quarterly newsletter for OSW partners. The newsletter provides updates on DRBC news, public comment opportunities and events, as well as shares information for and from OSW partners.

  • Check out the Quarterly Partner Updates

"Water & Waste" Roundtable with Terracycle

DRBC and OSW Partner TerraCycle recently hosted a "Water & Waste" roundtable at TerraCycle's headquarters in Trenton, N.J. in March. The event offered an opportunity for folks to connect and engage with one another and to share ideas and perspectives on the water-waste connection, as well as on Delaware River Basin water quality and the economic impacts of clean water. Invited guests included Our Shared Waters partners working across sectors to improve and protect the Delaware River Basin's shared water resources, as well as local elected officials.

  • Get more details about this event

Outreach Events

This year, staff participated or plans to participate in the following events:

• Lambertville, N.J. Shad Festival
• HydroMania
• Chester River Festival
• DRBA's World Environment Day
• Trenton's Juneteenth Celebration
• Delaware River of the Year Festival
• Friends of the Upper Delaware River's RiverFest
• Trenton River Fest
• Delaware River Festival