Newtown Creek

Newtown Creek began as a stream which drained the uplands of western Long Island and flowed through wetlands and marshes. Over time, the waterbody was dredged and straightened as the surrounding area was urbanized during the early development of New York City. By 1930, the waterbody had been transformed to its present-day configuration, and Newtown Creek served as a major industrial waterway used by oil refineries, smelting operations, manufactured gas plants, and other heavy industries. In addition to industrial waste, sewage had been discharged directly to the creek without treatment since the 1850s, and the natural marshlands and freshwater streams were replaced with sewers, storm drains, asphalt and concrete. Water quality deteriorated to such an extent that Newtown Creek became infamous as a polluted waterway.

Efforts to address water quality in Newtown Creek date back to the 1960s, when New York City began constructing wastewater resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to treat stormwater, sewage and industrial waste. Two WRRFs service the Newtown Creek drainage area including the Bowery Bay WRRF, which began operating in 1938, and the Newtown Creek WRRF, which began operating in 1967.

The 3.8-mile creek is a tidal arm of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary and flows between Queens and Brooklyn before emptying into the East River. In 2010 the United States Environmental Protection Agency designated Newtown Creek as a Superfund site, paving the way for environmental remediation and future cleanup.

In 2018, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved DEP’s Long Term Control Plan for Newtown Creek, which includes the construction of a combined sewer overflow tunnel.