DEP has completed studies assessing the feasibility of building a new Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) on Rikers Island and whether methane on Rikers Island could be used beneficially. These studies were required by Local Law 31 of 2021.
The WRRF Feasibility Study determined that a new WRRF on Rikers Island is a feasible long-term strategy for DEP’s treatment system in the Upper East River, offering a multitude of benefits that are not possible at the existing WRRFs. A new WRRF could consolidate some of the operations of four existing WRRFs and help NYC achieve our energy, air quality, and water quality improvement goals. The WRRF Feasibility Study began in April 2022 and was completed in March 2024.
The Methane Assessment Report considered the volume and quality of methane that could be produced by portions of Rikers Island that is made of landfill. The assessment determined that, given the age of the landfill, there would not be significant methane available to collect and what is available would not be good quality.
In 2021, the Council passed a series of laws, collectively known as the “Renewable Rikers Laws,” that require various City Agencies to begin examining potential uses for Rikers Island after the jails are closed. The Laws specifically focus on broad public benefit, renewable energy, and critical environmental infrastructure
For information about the City’s plan to close Rikers Island and create a borough-based jail system, visit A Roadmap to Closing Rikers.