Who We Are
Rally together to promote sound water resources management within the Delaware River Basin.
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“There are a lot of stakeholder groups, but WRA is the only group whose focus is giving water users and industry a voice in public participation.”
Jennifer GariglianoChief of Staff, Bureau of Water Supply New York City, Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP)
“WRA is a platform where science and knowledge inform when, where and how we use our voice as an organization to shape policy and chart a course for the future of the Delaware River.”
Preston LuitweilerVice President, Chief Environmental Officer – Retired, Aqua America
Mission & Vision
We know it’s hard to connect all the dots all the time. You can rely on us to keep you connected and “in the know.”
What WRA Stands For:
WRA promotes the science-based management of water resources within the Delaware River Basin to protect all water dependent uses and enhance the long-term sustainability and resiliency of the river system.
WRA Achieves This By:
- Representing the needs and interests of water users of the Delaware River Basin in multi-stakeholder initiatives and with regulatory agencies
- Advancing principles of comprehensive water resources planning based on sound science and policy
- Promoting a balanced approach that recognizes the economic, social, and environmental importance of the Basin’s water resources.
How WRA Works:
WRA is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy and public information organization. We serve as a critical resource to our members—water professionals, water purveyors, and commercial, industrial, and maritime river users—as they collaborate with other stakeholders to maintain the Delaware River as a working river and promote principles of sustainability and resiliency. Our efforts have become even more important recognizing the fiscal challenges faced by regulatory agencies in the region and the acute need to respond to climate-related impacts in a manner that will maintain and expand the multi-dimensional values of the Delaware River watershed.
Our History
The Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin (WRA) was established in 1959 by a wide range of representatives from industry, public and private utilities and other water resource organizations with wide-ranging interests in water resources that sought to ensure public participation in the management of the Delaware River and its tributaries.
In 1961, the WRA successfully participated in the development of a federal-interstate compact and the creation of the Delaware River Basin Commission. Since then, the WRA has remained active in monitoring activities of the DRBC and other agencies of the four Basin states. For over half a century, WRA has been an unwavering voice uniting water users to protect the Basin.
“Since 1959—two years before the formation of the Delaware River Basin Commission—WRA has been built on a sound foundation of scientific evidence.”
Gerald Kauffman, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
“This is the only organization that provides a space for dialogue from a science and engineering perspective.”
Dennis PalmerExecutive Director/Chief Engineer, Landis Sewerage Authority
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Leadership
Our Board of Directors highlights the wealth of experience and expertise representative of WRA members. They represent a wide range of interests and influences.
WRA’s Executive Director Skelly is an accomplished leader in sustainability and technology with a proven history of connecting a diverse and energized community of stakeholders.
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The Delaware River Basin
The Delaware River Basin spans four states and provides drinking water for almost 15 million people. It is the lifeblood of our economies and communities in obvious and unexpected yet vital ways. It underpins over $20 billion of economic activity annually and supports 600,000 direct and indirect jobs.
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