Regional Water Quality Standards

The Delaware River Basin encompasses many clean streams and a major pollution problem in the 85 mile long Delaware estuary. Water quality management concepts applied in the development of regional water quality standards included protection of clean streams, abatement of polluted waters, a minimum required degree of wastewater treatment, and the equitable apportionment of stream assimilative capacity. The Delaware River Basin Commission adopted water quality standards and regulations setting forth water uses to be protected, water quality criteria necessary to protect water uses, effluent quality requirements, and allocations of stream assimilative capacity.