September 16, 2005
Contact: 311
Important
Information for Consumers of the New York City Croton Water Supply
System
Protecting
the Water Supply
Federal law and State regulations require that all New YorkState surface
drinking water supply systems filter the waterdelivered to consumers,
unless the system can meet strictconditions for “filtration avoidance,” including
protection of therelated watershed from where the surface water originates.New
York City obtains virtually all of its drinking water fromthree surface
water systems originating in upstate watersheds.The systems are known
as the Croton, Catskill and Delawaresystems. Since the early 1990s, the
City has pursued acomprehensive watershed protection strategy, for its
threewater systems, to protect the quality of its drinking water atthe
source. The City's program includes, among other things,enforcement of
updated watershed rules and regulations, theacquisition of sensitive
watershed lands, and the funding ofeconomic and environmental partnerships
with watershedcounties, towns and villages to support local efforts aimed
atmaintaining or enhancing water quality.
The
City is not being required to filter its two largest systems,the Catskill
and Delaware systems. For the reasons describedbelow, the City, the State
and the United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency have determined
that the Croton system(the City’s oldest, supplying about 10% of
the City’s dailydrinking water, which in times of drought can supply
up to30%) should be filtered.
The Croton System
(Public Water System ID# NY7003666)
Croton system water is not currently filtered, which constitutesa treatment
technique violation under federal and Statedrinking water regulations.
Due to its unique history andgeography (very different from both the
Catskill and Delawaresystems), the Croton system also experiences seasonal
waterquality problems associated with elevated color levels, resulting
from naturally occurring minerals and organic matterpresent in the water.
Although this condition is aesthetic and nothealth-related, it may require
the City to discontinue use ofCroton system water while color levels
remain elevated, or toblend Croton system water with Catskill system
water.
Filtration
The City’s goal is to ensure that Croton system water is at alltimes
protected against microbiological contamination, isaesthetically pleasing,
and meets all drinking water qualitystandards. The City is, therefore,
proceeding with the designand construction of a filtration plant for
Croton system water,pursuant to the terms of a November 1998 federal
courtConsent Decree, entered into with the United States and theState
of New York. The filtration facility is expected to reducecolor levels
in the Croton system water, reduce the risk ofmicrobiological contamination,
reduce disinfection by-productlevels and ensure compliance with stricter
water qualitystandards.
The Consent Decree, as modified in May 2002, required the Cityto evaluate
and choose between three potential sites for thefiltration plant: two
in the Bronx, at the Mosholu Golf Course oralong the Harlem River in
the vicinity of Fordham Road, and oneat Eastview in Westchester County.
The Mosholu Golf Coursesite lies within Van Cortlandt Park, a public
park in the Bronx.The City sought State legislation authorizing the alienation
ofthe Mosholu Golf Course site for the purpose of constructing,operating
and maintaining a Croton filtration plant. In July2003, after passage
by the State Legislature, the Governorapproved such legislation and signed
it into law. A FinalSupplemental Environmental Impact Statement, comparing
thethree sites, was released on June 30, 2004 and it identified theMosholu
Golf Course Site as the preferred site for the facility. OnSeptember
28, 2004, the City issued a notice to proceed tobegin the first phase
of construction of the filtration plant.
The Law
Until the City begins to filter Croton water, the New York CityDepartment
of Environmental Protection is required to send tocustomers of the Croton
Water Supply, the followinginformation quarterly:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) setsdrinking
water standards and has determined that the presence ofmicrobiological
contaminants is a health concern at certain levelsof exposure. If water
is inadequately treated, microbiologicalcontaminants in that water
may cause disease. Diseasesymptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea,
and possiblyjaundice, and any associated headaches and fatigue. Thesesymptoms,
however, are not just associated with disease-causingorganisms in water,
but also may be caused by a number offactors other than your drinking
water. EPA has set enforceablerequirements for treating drinking water
to reduce the risk ofthese adverse health effects. Treatment such as
filtering anddisinfecting the water removes or destroys microbiologicalcontaminants.
Drinking water which is treated to meet EPArequirements is associated
with little to none of this risk andshould be considered safe.
For More Information
If you have questions about the New York City water supply system or
filtration, please write:
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Public Affairs
59-17 Junction Boulevard, Flushing, New York 11373
You can also contact DEP by calling 311, the City’s Non-Emergency
Communication Center or visit DEP’s Web site.
