Improving Water-Related Infrastructure

Bull riveter in operation, January 24, 1913.

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	Improving Water-Related Infrastructure


		Septic Systems Septic systems are used to treat wastewater from homes and small businesses that aren't served by sewer systems and treatment plants, the case in many rural and suburban areas. Very old and failing systems threaten both groundwater and surface water quality. Learn more


		Stormwater Rain and snow generate stormwater runoff that flows over the surface of saturated soils and over non-porous or impervious surfaces like roof tops and parking lots. Many contaminants, like fine sediment, metals, oils, nutrients from fertilizers and bacteria, are located on the surface. They’re easily dislodged and carried by stormwater into storm sewers, watercourses and eventually into drinking water supply reservoirs. Studies have shown that under certain circumstances, runoff generated during the first hour of moderate-to-high intensity storm events, commonly referred to as the first-flush, can have a greater pollutant concentration than raw sewage. It’s this first-flush that New York City’s many stormwater management programs are designed to treat Learn more


		Wastewater Facilities Wastewater treatment facilities, which process both sewage and stormwater, are a focal point of New York City’s watershed protection efforts. There are 103 non-City-owned treatment plants in the 1,972 square mile watershed; all but 34 are located in the densely-populated counties of Putnam and Westchester, east of the Hudson River. The City owns six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the watershed. To ensure that the treated wastewater, called effluent, that’s discharged into watershed streams is as clean as possible, the City, under the 1997 MOA, provided for the funding of improvements to the existing 103 plants to meet the standards set by the 1997 Watershed Regulations Learn more


	Sand & Salt Storage A major contributor to water quality pollution from stormwater runoff is the sand, salt and other de-icing materials that are used on roadways during snow and ice storms. While the materials have to be used, the way that they’re stored has a big impact on their ultimate effect on water quality. The City’s 1997 Watershed Regulations set out specific standards for the storage of more than 1000 pounds of road de-icing materials with a salt content greater than 8%, and the MOA provided $10.25 million to fund the construction of new storage structures to prevent leaching and runoff at the site. Learn more


	Regulatory Programs In 1997, New York City issued its first new regulations of activities in the upstate watersheds since 1953. In an effort to protect the New York City reservoirs from the harmful effects of high levels of phosphorus, the 1997 Watershed Regulations limit new man-made sources of phosphorus into reservoirs that already exceed the phosphorus water quality guidance value. In addition, DEP is also an Involved Agency on many major projects during the SEQRA process Learn more

Current: 91.0%
Normal: 70.1%