Salt water creeping up Delaware River in worrying sign for big fresh water source
Salt water creeping up Delaware River in worrying sign for big fresh water source
Source of Philadelphia’s drinking water sees salt line pushed closer to city by drought and sea level rise
Summary
Saltwater is creeping up the Delaware River, threatening the drinking water supply for 14 million people, including Philadelphia, due to drought and rising sea levels.
The salt line, typically near Wilmington, Delaware, is now 20 miles farther north, approaching Philadelphia’s water intakes.
Officials are countering this by releasing reservoir water to push the salt front downstream, but long-term concerns persist as climate change exacerbates droughts and sea level rise.
The situation highlights the need for conservation and further study to protect water resources in the region.
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We never had 0 inches of precipitation in October in Philly since record keeping began. Not only did we do that, but we didn’t get any rain until last week