October 21, 2026

Letter from former Mayor Beame reflects on progress cleaning up New York City waterways and hopes for a future where people can work in ways that “enhance, rather than degrade, the environment”

Design‑build approach will deliver major upgrades in under four years, 40% faster than typical

Rendering of new electrical building at Port Richmond WRRF

NEW YORK—Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today opened a time capsule sealed inside the Port Richmond Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) in 1976, marking the start of construction on a $185 million capital project to modernize the Staten Island facility and ensure reliable, resilient wastewater treatment for decades to come.

The Port Richmond facility, located on Staten Island’s North Shore, began operating in 1953 and serves roughly 200,000 residents across a 9,665‑acre drainage area. During former Mayor Abraham Beame’s administration in the 1970s, the facility underwent a major $165 million expansion to meet updated harbor water quality standards and serve a growing population, quadrupling its treatment capacity from 15 million gallons per day to 60 million gallons per day.

Read the full Mayoral Press Release.