32:20-3. Division of interstate Delaware river into zones
It is recognized by the signatory States that due to such variable factors as location, size, character, and flow, and of the many varied uses of the waters of the interstate Delaware river and its aforesaid west branch, such as water supply, recreation, navigation, industrial developments, maintenance of fish life, shellfish culture, agriculture, and other purposes, that no single standard of sewage and waste treatment and of quality of receiving waters is practical for all parts of the river. Therefore, in order to apply minimum requirements for the attainment of correction and control of pollution which will be appropriate to the varied factors including the existing and potential quality and uses of the waters, the interstate Delaware river is hereby divided into four zones, to wit:
Zone I: Zone one is that part of the Delaware river and its west branch extending from the New York-Pennsylvania boundary line to the head of tidewater at Trenton, New Jersey, and Morrisville, Pennsylvania.
The drainage basin contributary to this zone, excepting part of the Lehigh river basin, is relatively sparsely inhabited and contains few sewered communities and relatively few industrial establishments producing waste water. The streams draining this area being, in general, relatively clean and of high elevation, are well adapted as sources of public water supplies, after treatment or purification.
The principal uses of the waters of the Delaware river in Zone one are expected to be for water supply after such treatment or purification as may be necessary, and for recreation, bathing, maintenance of fish and aquatic life, agriculture, and for other related purposes.
Zone II: Zone two is that part of the Delaware river extending from the head of tidewater at Trenton, New Jersey, and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, to a line drawn perpendicular to the channel of the Delaware river from the mouth of Pennypack creek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the corresponding point on the New Jersey shore.
The drainage basin contributary to this zone is somewhat more densely populated than that of Zone one, and it contains more sewered communities and industrial establishments.
The principal uses of the waters of the Delaware river in Zone two are expected to be for water supply, after treatment or purification, and for recreation, navigation, maintenance of fish and aquatic life, agricultural, industrial and other purposes.
Zone III: Zone three is that part of the Delaware river extending from the aforesaid line connecting the mouth of Pennypack creek in Philadelphia and the corresponding point in New Jersey to the Pennsylvania-Delaware boundary line.
The drainage basin contributary to this zone contains populous metropolitan areas including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey.
The principal uses of the waters of the Delaware river in Zone three are expected to be for navigation, industrial water supply, and other purposes.
The water in this zone, however, should be of such sanitary quality that it will not be unfit for use as sources of water supply, will not be harmful to fish life, and will not adversely affect the quality of the waters of the tidal tributaries.
Zone IV: Zone four is that part of the Delaware river extending from the Pennsylvania-Delaware boundary line to the Atlantic ocean.
The principal uses of the waters of the Delaware river in Zone four are expected to be for navigation, industrial water supply, commercial fishing, shellfish culture, recreation and other purposes.
In order to attain conditions of cleanliness and sanitation of the waters of the Delaware river which will be consistent with the appropriate existing and future quality and uses of such waters, the following minimum requirements shall apply to the several zones herein provided. It is the purpose and intent of such requirements to apply to artificial (not natural) causes of pollution.
L.1939, c. 146, p. 488, Art. II.
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Last modified: October 11, 2016