PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a change to water quality standards in Philadelphia to protect fish in the Delaware River. Billions of dollars would be needed for the water department to comply — which could mean a big hike in customer water bills.
The EPA says higher dissolved oxygen levels would help fish in the river thrive. That includes the endangered Atlantic sturgeon. Environmentalists estimate that the population of Atlantic sturgeon that return from the ocean to the Delaware River to spawn number fewer than 250.
Through a statement, the Philadelphia Water Department says it would cost $3 billion to build the infrastructure at wastewater treatment facilities in order to raise dissolved oxygen levels in the river. The PWD says if significant financial support from the state or federal government is not forthcoming, then the cost must be passed on to the customer. It would be a big hike, averaging an additional $265 a year per household.
"PWD sort of couches it by saying, if there is no money available this may not happen,” said David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment. “The incredible irony is there is historic money available. The Biden administration and Congress approved billions of dollars to clean up pollution in our rivers and streams."
PWD also says existing dissolved oxygen levels already support the spawning and growth of juvenile sturgeon and other fish species, and before spending big, it wants to examine the science behind the proposed regulations.
Maya K. van Rossum, the Delaware riverkeeper for the Delaware River Network, says PWD’s arguments lack legitimacy.
"Every credible scientific expert who studies the Atlantic sturgeon and water quality issues in the Delaware estuary, in the region, and in the nation, agrees the dissolved oxygen levels in the Delaware River are too low in order to fully support the life stages of the Atlantic sturgeon," van Rossum said.
PWD declined a request for an interview on the matter.
EPA will now begin to review online input from the public on the proposal.