PLANYC 2030 - Water Quality Initiatives

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The Plan - Focusing on the five key dimensions of the city’s environment — land, air, water, energy, and transportation — we have developed a plan that can become a model for cities in the 21st century

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2:	Expand wet weather capacity at treatment plants - p. 56

We will reduce CSO discharges by more than 185 mgd during rainstorms
In addition to upgrading our treatment facilities to reliably comply with existing and emerging regulatory requirements, we are also maximizing the volume of water these treatment plants can process during storms. (See case study: Nitrogen)

Currently, all treatment facilities are required to treat twice the amount of flows that would occur on a normal day without rain. But at Newtown Creek, the 26th Ward, and Jamaica Waste Water Treatment Plants, we will be expanding the wet weather capacity. This should reduce the CSO discharges in these sewersheds by more than 185 million gallons per day (mgd) during rainstorms.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
The City continues construction at the Newtown Creek and the 26th Ward Waste Water Treatment Plant to maximize the volume of water these plants process during storms, thereby reducing the CSO discharges in surrounding areas.