October 15, 2019

Photos of the Event are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined last Friday with 25 students from the Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning High School on Staten Island to help remove litter from Wolfe’s Pond Bluebelt in the Prince’s Bay neighborhood. The collaborative community service project is in its seventh year and helps to prepare students to become environmental stewards for the Island’s Bluebelts.

“The students and staff from Gaynor McCown are to be commended for their volunteer clean-up efforts at Wolfe’s Pond Bluebelt. Days of service such as this instill in these young New Yorkers a sense of pride when it comes to caring for our shared ecosystem,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “The Bluebelt is an award-winning stormwater management program that helps reduce street flooding and improves the health of local waterways. I would ask all Staten Islanders to be eco-conscious citizens and do their part to keep the Bluebelt clean and free from litter.”

Staten Island residents can play a vital role in supporting the Bluebelt by helping to keep streams and wetlands pristine and by protecting them from pollution.

Get involved:

• Become a member of the Adopt-A-Bluebelt Program. The program offers local community groups, companies and individuals an opportunity to enhance Staten Island's open spaces by acting as Sponsors who adopt parts of the Bluebelt system. Each Sponsor is acknowledged with a sign at the adopted site.
• Organize a Bluebelt clean up or participate in one of DEP's Friends of the Bluebelt clean-up events held each year.
• Join a group that shares your interest in the environment such as Friends of Wood Duck Pond, Friends of Jack's Pond, your local civic association, or contact your Community Board to learn about its activities. For more information about these activities, call 311 and ask to be connected to DEP's Staten Island Bluebelt field office.
• Report illegal dumping directly to 311.

The Wolfe’s Pond Bluebelt collects stormwater from a drainage area of approximately 589 acres. The Bluebelt consists of two constructed holding basins and a weir to control the stormwater. Over the last 20 years, DEP has built more than 70 Bluebelts across Staten Island to manage stormwater and reduce roadway flooding. The Bluebelts also provide important open spaces and serve as a habitat for diverse wildlife.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9.6 million residents, including 8.6 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.