Water Initiatives
Water Stewardship at the DRBA
New Jersey and Delaware, the two states served by the Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) are two of the most central of the coastal states on the Northeastern Atlantic Seaboard. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry crosses The Delaware Bay, the Delaware Memorial Bridge connects both states over The Delaware River, and Forts Ferry Crossing also connects the historic river forts at Fort Delaware and Fort Mott in both states.The EHS team is the lead DRBA team for monitoring and managing water initiatives at the DRBA. "We are committed to ensuring our work has minimal effects on the natural environment and our communities," states EHS Director Silvana Dominioni. Here are highlights of key focus areas in our water management programs.
IMPROVING STORM WATER QUALITY
The DRBA's Cape May-Lewes Ferry site has more than 60 storm water drains and activities on site that have an impact to surface runoff and water quality. To ensure minimal impacts to the adjacent water bodies, the site implemented several best practices including storm water drain guards and enclosed solid waste containers. Here are a few of our recent initiatives.
Stormwater Drain Guards
In accordance with best management practices that improve storm water quality by preventing litter from reaching waterways, the DRBA installed storm water drain guards in passenger parking areas to prevent blowing litter and trash or plastic from entering the facility's storm water system. The Authority procured and installed inlet screens with visible blue message signs (see blue dot in photo above) to alert the public that no dumping was allowed.
Enclosed Solid Waste Containers
The DRBA began using total enclosed solid waste roll off to prevent precipitation from entering waste roll off and impacting storm water. The new designed roll off improves water quality by preventing storm water from entering and running off containerized trash and solid waste and then entering storm drains.
Stormwater Permits
The DRBA's Delaware Memorial Bridge maintains a MS4 Stormwater Permit (#NJG0155101) issued by NJDEP on January 1, 2020 as part of The Clean Water Act. This permit and key features such as electronic outfall mapping and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan are available through the button here.
WAter Conservation
in alignment with keeping our current water resources clean, the DRBA is also committed to water conservation initiatives. Two recent projects include:
Vacuum Flushing
In 2019, the Cape May- Lewes Ferry updated its vacuum toilet flushing system, resulting in a 50% reduction in the use of fresh water for flushing.
Refillable Water Stations
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry transitioned from traditional water fountains on its boats and inside its facilities to water fountain refilling stations. These new water systems encourage passengers to use reusable water bottles instead of plastic water bottles. The effort is estimated to save up to 5,400 water bottles each year.
Spills
Spills are unplanned releases of materials on or near the highway that impact the roadway but also cause potential hazards to nearby waterways. Reporting procedures are determined by the type and volume of spill and guidelines provided by NJDEP and DNREC. DRBA spill responses fall into three main categories: Highway, Water and Hazmat.
Highway Spills
Emergency spills on our bridges or highways can include those related to vehicle collisions, fires, unknown chemicals or explosive hazards stemming from vehicles using the roadways. If a spill poses an immediate threat to human health or the environment, then qualified DRBA Spill Response Contractors take reasonable actions to contain the spill until police or regulatory agencies arrive on the scene.
Waterway Spills
Spills in the water are reported to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center and respective state agencies. Annual training is conducted for boat response and boom deployment at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.
Hazmat Spills
At the Delaware Memorial Bridge, a HAZMAT response trailer carries supplies that can be used for hazardous wastes or spills. The trailer has the capabilities for an Incident Command Center. In addition to training on trailer capabilities, DRBA staff receive annual HAZCOM, HAZWOPER, HAZMAT, Spill Response and Emergency Response Tech training with dedicated, specific Emergency Response Plans in effect at all of our locations.
Environmental heaLth & Safety
