Delaware River Basin Commission proposes rule requiring public water systems to report largest customers' water use
The Delaware River Basin Commission has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend its Water Code and Comprehensive Plan, mandating that water supply systems serving the public report water use by their largest customers. The proposal includes a public hearing on November 4, 2026, and accepts written comments until December 4, 2026.
Why it matters. This change affects public water utilities and large water users in the Delaware River Basin by introducing new reporting requirements that could improve water resource management and conservation planning across four states.
The Commission welcomes and will consider comments that concern the potential impacts of the proposed amendments on the conservation, utilization, development, management and control of the water and related resources of the Delaware River Basin and on public participation in the Commission's water resource management activities. In particular, the Commission seeks comment on the burden the propo…
furnishing source and service area data electronically to the Commission's respective member states in accordance with subsections 2.50.3 A.1.a. and b. of the Water Code, adopted in 1986, and to providing DRBC with an annual “water audit” report in accordance with section 2.1.8 of the Water Code, adopted in 2012.
For decades, the Commission has applied a consumptive use coefficient of ten percent (10%) to water withdrawn from the Basin by most water supply systems serving the public.
Currently, approximately 300 purveyors in the Basin report source and service area water use to Basin state agencies in accordance with the Water Code provisions cited above.
Because the proposed amendments include a new section 2.50.1, “Definitions,” current sections 2.50.1 through 2.50.3 are to be re-numbered 2.50.2 through 2.50.4. The substantive new requirements appear in proposed new subsection 2.50.4 A.1.c. Additional non-substantive amendments are proposed to the introductory paragraphs of current subsections 2.50.3 A.1., “Annual Reporting Requirements—Water Su…
Interested persons may obtain or inspect copies of the Water Code at the Delaware River Basin Commission, 25 Cosey Road, West Trenton, New Jersey, 08628-0360 or on the Commission's website,
