The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (“DELCORA”) is a body corporate and politic created by a resolution of the governing body of the County dated October 20, 1971, pursuant to the Act, with the power to construct, finance, operate and maintain sewer systems throughout the County and adjacent areas included in its drainage basin.

DELCORA was formed as a countywide authority as a result of a feasibility report prepared for the County Commissioners in 1972 by the engineering firm of Albright & Friel. The report divided the County into two regions, the Eastern Service Area and the Western Service Area, each to be served by a regional wastewater treatment plant. DELCORA was to be responsible for building and operating interceptors and pumping stations in both regions, building the regional treatment plant in the Western Service Area, and acquiring capacity in Philadelphia’s Southwest Water Pollution Control Plant for wastewater treatment for the Eastern Service Area. Certain municipal authority owned interceptor sewers were to be transferred to DELCORA, and local municipal agencies were to remain primarily responsible for construction and operation of their local collection systems. These municipal agencies have the option to transfer their collection systems to DELCORA, and DELCORA currently owns and operates sewer collection systems serving four municipalities, the City of Chester, the Township of Chester and the Boroughs of Parkside and Upland all located in the County.

DELCORA is basically a “wholesaler” of sewage treatment services, deriving approximately 81% of its revenues from customers consisting of authorities, municipalities and major industrial users. DELCORA derives approximately 19% of its revenue from “retail” customers consisting of residential, commercial and small industrial users in the Collection Municipalities. The System consists of approximately 150 miles of collector sewers and interceptors ranging in diameter from eight to 54 inches, which serve the “retail” users in the Collection Municipalities, approximately 13 miles of force mains ranging in diameter from 30 to 66 inches, five pumping stations, three lift stations and a regional wastewater treatment plant with a rated capacity of 44 million gallons per day (“MGD”) in the Western Service Area. Pursuant to the Philadelphia agreement, DELCORA also has capacity of 50 MGD per day reserved for it in the City’s Southwest Water Pollution Control Plant.

DELCORA serves the sewage collection and interceptor systems of four wastewater joint authorities in its Eastern Service Area through service agreements with the Eastern Authorities. All wastewater delivered to the System in the eastern service area is currently conveyed to the Philadelphia plant.

In the Western Service Area, DELCORA owns and operates the sewage collection systems. DELCORA provides conveyance and treatment service to the Collection Municipalities, the Municipalities, the Corporations and certain permit industry customers in the Western Service Area. All wastewater delivered to the System in the Western Service Area is conveyed to the Western Plant for treatment. The Western Plant was originally designed and constructed to treat 40 MGD, but was re-rated and is currently permitted to 44 MGD.

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