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Home » Westchester

Hudson River, Bays, Lakes and Streams

The environmental quality of the rivers, bays, estuaries and tributaries of Westchester County has improved significantly in the last few decades, thanks in part to increased regulation of industry, technological advances, state and private investment, and upgraded sewage treatment plants funded mostly by the 1972 Clean Water Act. Although progress has been made to clean up surface water contamination and prevent further pollution in area waters, major challenges remain.

One chronic source of pollution in Westchester’s waters is combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In urban areas such as Yonkers, the sewers combine household and industrial waste with rainwater and street runoff. During periods of significant rainfall or when there are power outages, these combined sewers can overflow and introduce raw or partially treated sewage into area waters, causing levels of fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, and "floatables" to rise. In Yonkers alone there are 26 combined sewer outflows into the waterways. There should be concerted action to overhaul the sewer and stormwater systems and efforts to raise federal and state money to finance such initiatives.


Solution

The League urges the County and municipalities to:

  • Support the creation of a stormwater utility through LISWIC (the Long Island Sound Watershed Intermunicipal Council) in order to deal effectively with stormwater issues in relation to the Long Island Sound.
  • Create a municipal sewer authority in Westchester to consolidate all County and local sanitary sewer lines.
  • Create a remedial public sewer system in order to protect the water supply and the integrity of the Hudson River.
  • Make investments to upgrade and properly monitor sewer and stormwater systems to combat inflow and infiltration.
  • Build sanitary sewer overflow facilities where feasible to ensure that stormwater does not cause the sanitary sewer system to fail.
  • Continue to make investments in sewage treatment plant upgrades (including emerging technology) to provide for a higher level of nitrogen-reduction.
  • Send official reminders to all homeowners to have septic systems pumped out and checked for proper operation.
  • Make efforts to encourage and assist individuals to upgrade their septic systems.
  • Conduct a well study and an aquifer study to assess future water needs.
  • Prohibit new septic systems in wetlands, wetland buffer zones, aquifer zones, and any other environmentally sensitive area.
  • Develop and implement schedules for regular maintenance of stormwater management devices.

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