Filed Under: Environmental Issues | Westchester | Water | Water

Sewage Treatment

Public sewers serve 90% of Westchester's population and the County operates seven wastewater treatment plants where sewage is dewatered. The liquid remaining after dewatering is aerated, disinfected, and discharged into the Hudson River from three plants (Ossining, Peekskill, and Yonkers joint treatment plant), or into Long Island Sound and its tributary streams from four plants (New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, and Blind Brook treatment plant). In addition to treating sewage for about 875,000 people, the Yonkers plant treats sewage from several County, municipal, and private plants. Sludge, the solid fraction remaining after sewage has been dewatered, is trucked to New Jersey and Pennsylvania landfills. Rainwater and street runoff are also treated at Yonkers, but during significant rainfall the combination of sewage and the excess runoff leads to raw sewage overflows into the Hudson River.

The New York State Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), established in April 2001, requires a reduction in nitrogen flows into Long Island Sound and major upgrades for all treatment plants that discharge into the sound. The prevalence of nitrogen in the water stimulates algae growth and thereby reduces oxygen. The lack of oxygen has led to the decrease of other marine species. Federal acts and legislation in Connecticut also mandate a cleaner Sound (see Rivers & Estuaries section for more on the Long Island Sound).

Municipalities are responsible for maintaining sewer lines within their boundaries. In 1998, ten communities agreed to find and remove illegal connections with County sewer lines in exchange for nearly $40 million of County funds. The County assumed responsibility for repairing faulty pipes. Work continued through 2003. Besides improving water quality, these upgrades will extend the useful life of sewer infrastructure.

Consolidating existing sewer districts into a single County-wide district would spread the cost of upgrades or repairs over a broader taxpayer base. But residents without access to public sewers oppose paying taxes for a service they do not receive. Since most homes and businesses without public sewer service are located in the northern part of the County, an alternate proposal recommends creating two consolidated districts-one in the north and the other in the south-to spread the tax burden more fairly.

A controversial sewage initiative in Westchester County calls for re-routing sewage from a substandard plant in Yorktown to the Peekskill treatment plant. In Westchester, 30 municipal, private or New York City-owned treatment plants discharge into drinking water reservoirs. Rerouting sewage could cut sewage discharges into Westchester's reservoirs by nearly 40%. However, Peekskill already hosts a garbage incinerator, with an ash landfill and two active nuclear power plants nearby. Increasing sewage flow to the Peekskill treatment plant would place an environmental strain on an already low-income town as compared to other towns in the County. Concerned parties, municipalities, and organizations such as the Citizens for Equal Environmental Protection are exploring alternate means of sewage relief.

Funds from New York State's Environmental Bond Act and the 1997 Watershed Protection Agreement (see Drinking Water section [LINK]) are available to upgrade sewage treatment plants in the Croton Watershed. Nearly $26 million has been funded under the Bond Act towards water improvement projects in Cortlandt, Mount Pleasant and Yorktown, three municipalities partially or wholly located in the Croton Watershed.

An estimated 50,000 in-ground septic systems, most of them in northern Westchester, remove and treat wastewater from schools, small commercial strips and private households. Approximately 10% of Westchester's population relies on these in-ground disposal systems. In terms of its land area, one third of Westchester depends on septic systems to filter and purify wastewater and return it to ground or surface waters. While a properly sited, constructed, and maintained septic system effectively removes and treats sewage during its 15 to 20 year lifespan, failing septic systems are significant sources of pollution.

With limited funds to provide or extend public sewers, most north County towns rely on density controls during planning and zoning board review of proposed developments that require septic systems. The County Health Department reviews applications for such developments to determine whether the project site, size, topography, and soils are adequate. The mandated size of a system is scaled to the number of persons projected to use it. Septic system projects must account for the short lifespan of the system in their proposal and allow for a replacement strategy should the original system fail. The County Planning Department's publication Patterns for Westchester recommends directing new development into municipal centers and developed corridors that are already served by sewers. Increasing real estate prices for undeveloped corridors and buying and protecting more open space could help accomplish this.

Beginning in April 2002, as the result of a new code established unanimously by the Westchester government, all septic system contractors were required to take special training courses and obtain a license to perform work in Westchester County. Information on septic systems is available from many local government offices. Useful websites include the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Westchester County Health Department

What you can do:

Extracting maximum effective use from a septic system requires care and periodic maintenance.

• The tank should be pumped and the tank baffles checked every two to four years, depending on tank size and usage.

• Basic care includes avoiding overloading the system with heavy volumes of water from, for example, re-routing drainage from roofs, foundations and surface water accumulation, and preventing physical damage from tree roots or heavy loads (like vehicles) on top of the system.

• While some municipalities offer incentives such as tax rebates for regular pumping, owners are responsible for maintenance and for replacing failing systems. Since the cost of repair or replacement of a failed septic system can exceed $15,000, regular maintenance is a bargain.