Filed Under: Environmental Issues | Westchester | Water | Water

Water Filtration

Since its creation in the 1800s, New York City's water supply, and consequently Westchester's, has been unfiltered, but changes lie ahead. The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act established federal oversight by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of all US ground and surface water supplies. The Act's 1986 amendments set water quality standards and required all states to implement them. The 1989 Federal Surface Water Treatment Rule mandates that all surface water supplies be filtered unless system operators can demonstrate that public water meets federal standards and will continue to do so in the future.

The Croton water supply currently meets health standards, but it will need to comply with federal guidelines requiring filtration. Northern Westchester and Putnam County are experiencing intense development pressures in the watershed areas, introducing more septic systems and hard surfaces. The Croton reservoir system currently receives 6.5 million gallons of effluent daily from 70 wastewater treatment facilities. (By comparison, the Catskill-Delaware system, with a water capacity ten times greater, receives only 5.5 million gallons of effluent from 38 treatment plants.)

In 1992 the EPA ordered New York City to build a filtration plant for water from the Croton reservoir. The Watershed Protection Agreement confirmed New York City's commitment to build a filtration plant by March 2007. The City is building a plant in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

The Catskill/Delaware supply currently meets the requirements of the Federal Surface Water Treatment Rule, but since 1993, the EPA has granted New York City five waivers from federal requirements to filter this water. The last, granted in 2002, is based on the City's commitment to take several steps to protect the watershed. Although the City has this waiver, it is still required to prepare for construction of a filtration plant for the Catskill/Delaware supply, at the same time as it pursues the watershed protection programs outlined in the Agreement. If New York City is successful in maintaining the water's high quality, the EPA may waive the plant requirement entirely. Cost estimates for such a plant are upwards of $6 billion for construction alone. In its May 2000 appraisal, the EPA gave New York City high marks for compliance with the Catskill/Delaware filtration waiver requirements, but the report also pointed to several areas where the City must step up its efforts if it is to avoid the filtration requirement.

What you can do:

1. Use non-toxic alternatives to pesticides to protect groundwater.

2. Practice water conservation indoors by installing water-saving toilets, showerheads and faucet aerators, taking shorter showers and not running the water while shaving, washing your hands or brushing your teeth.

3. Practice water conservation outdoors by using a self-closing nozzle on your hose, sweeping rather than watering your sidewalk or driveway and not overwatering your lawn or plants (water before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m.).