NYC Reclassifies 30 Waterways for Clean Water Act Compliance

Historic Waterway Reclassification in NYC

• 🎯 30 city waterways are being reclassified in an unprecedented effort to improve water quality and protect them from contamination.
• 💧 This initiative aims to bring NYC waterways closer to the goals of the Clean Water Act, which seeks to make all waters swimmable and fishable.

Water Quality Monitoring and Data Collection

• 🔬 Riverkeeper is conducting water quality testing, collecting samples from 247 locations statewide to understand water health and identify contamination patterns.
• 📈 Data shows that water quality generally worsens after rain events due to sewage overflow.
• 💡 Prior to this sampling program, there was no systemic data collection on the water's suitability for swimming.

Improving Water Quality and Future Goals

• ✅ Water quality in NYC has been improving drastically over the last 30 years, thanks to city and upriver communities' efforts to treat combined sewer overflows.
• 🏊‍♀️ The state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) aims to expand swimming and fishing protections to over 91% of the city's waterways.
• 🚀 RiverKeeper advocates for setting high standards to incentivize the city to reach these goals faster.

Timeline and Scope of Reclassification

• 🗓️ The DEC plans to file a notice of adoption by September 30th, with the proposed rule becoming official about two weeks later.
• 🌊 This is the first batch of reclassifications for NYC waterways, with more batches planned through 2030 to address all city waterways.
• 🏙️ While this list includes 30 waterways, it does not yet include some areas like Newtown Creek.
• 🏖️ Activists believe this effort sets the stage for safer recreation along NYC's 520 miles of coastline.