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Division of Water

Mark Klotz, Director
Tom Cullen, Assistant Director

a photo of Loon Lake at sunset
Loon Lake at sunset

Welcome to the Division of Water webpage! The Division conducts a wide variety of programs to protect and conserve New York's waters. On this page you will find what the division has been involved with recently and other useful information about the division's work.

What's New in the Division of Water?

The Division of Water uses this page to highlight new water-related information that we think may interest you. Topics are typically posted here for about 30 days. If a topic has a specific end date (such as a public comment period or an event), the description is removed after the end date. This page is updated weekly. Topics on this page are announced via the MakingWaves email list.

You can subscribe to MakingWaves and other DEC-related topics by visiting DEC's email update webpage. If you already receive updates from DEC, you can manage your subscription on this page too.

Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices

New information about lakes with blue-green algae bloom notices will be posted Friday, June 14, on the DEC Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices webpage. This information is provided through DEC monitoring programs, volunteers, and public reports. The webpage is updated weekly.

Because waterbodies may have blue-green algae blooms that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating rafts, scums and discolored water.

If you suspect you have seen a blue-green algae bloom, or you, your family, or pet has been in contact with a blue-green algae bloom, please follow the instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC.

FAQs about Blue-green Algae

DEC has created a new webpage with FAQs received from the public about blue-green algae blooms. The questions are organized by the following categories: health concerns, notification system, public concerns, and the science of HABs.

Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notification Season has started for 2013

DEC's blue-green algae notification season has started for 2013. DEC's notification webpage lists waterbodies with a blue-green algae bloom notice and is updated weekly with information collected by DEC's Lake Classification and Inventory Survey and Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program monitoring programs, and reports received from the public.

The notification webpage provides general location information, status and extent of the bloom, and type of sample received. The webpage also provides advice on protecting your family and pets from blooms and instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC.

Because waterbodies may have blue-green algae blooms that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating rafts, scums, and discolored water.

Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant Included in Round 3 of Economic Development Funding

The Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants program coordinated by DEC and the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation is included in Round 3 of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative.

Up to $2 million will be available for engineering reports for municipalities that need to construct or improve their municipal wastewater system. Individual grants will be up to $50,000 and municipalities must provide a 20% match.

Municipalities can apply through the Consolidated Funding Application, which will be available on June 17.

Other programs in Round 3 of the REDC initiative

Many other funding programs are also included in Round 3 of the REDC initiative. Download the "CFA Resource Manual" from the REDC website for a complete list. A direct link to the REDC website is in the "Links Leaving DEC's Website" section of the right-hand column of this page.

New Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Webpage Describes Mapping Process

A new webpage describing the process DEC will use to revise the current Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) maps is available on DEC's website.

The new CEHA Map Revision Process webpage includes information and links to resources about the types of data used, a description of the technical process, and an example of a proposed revised CEHA map.

More about the CEHA map revision process

The current CEHA boundary maps are being evaluated and revised to identify and map coastal areas subject to erosion, landforms (e.g. beaches, bluffs, and dunes that protect coastal lands) and development to protect them from the adverse impacts of erosion and high water.

Public Meeting about Cayuga Lake Modeling Project and Related TMDL Project

The Tompkins County Water Resources Council will host a public meeting to discuss the Cayuga Lake Modeling Project. This project will support DEC's development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus in the lake.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 PM in the Boynton Middle School cafeteria at 1601 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca.

Representatives from DEC and other project participants will give an overview of the project, a summary of progress to date, and an outline of the schedule moving forward.

More information about management of the Cayuga Lake watershed is on DEC's website.

Sewage Discharge Reporting Form

DEC has developed a reporting form and guidance for public wastewater systems to use to report sewage discharges as required by the new Sewage Pollution Right to Know law. The reporting form and guidance are available on DEC's Sewage Pollution Right to Know webpage. Scroll down to the header "Reporting Discharges".

Information received through these reports is posted on the Sewage Discharge Reports webpage.

More about the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Law

The Sewage Pollution Right to Know law that went into effect on May 1, 2013 changed the requirements for reporting untreated or partially treated sewage discharges from publicly owned treatment works and imposes new reporting requirements for publicly owned sewer systems and combined sewer overflows.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Notification Letters

DEC has sent notification letters to newly designated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) and existing MS4s that were previously granted a waiver. The letters explain that discharges from MS4s in urbanized areas (as defined by the 2010 Census) must be authorized in accordance with DEC's General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems.

Newly designated MS4s were identified based on the 2010 Census urbanized area maps.

Links to permit information, the Notice of Intent form and other documents are available on DEC's Stormwater MS4 Permit and Forms webpage. Additional information and resources are available on DEC's MS4 Toolbox webpage.

Round 3 of Economic Development Funding Announced

Governor Cuomo kicked off Round 3 of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative on May 15, 2013. In Round 3, $760 million in state funding and tax incentives will be awarded to the ten economic development regions in New York State.

Application materials will be available by June 3, the Consolidated Funding Application will open to applicants on June 17, and submissions from the regional councils are due by September 24.

A direct link to Governor Cuomo's May 15 announcement is in the "Links Leaving DEC's Website" section of the right-hand column of this page.

More about the Consolidated Funding Application

The Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) is the single application that needs to be completed to apply for funding. The CFA allows applicants access to multiple funding sources from dozens of existing programs through one comprehensive, web-based application, making it quicker and easier to receive funding.

Water Quality Data Solicitation for the 2014 303(d) List

The Division of Water is updating New York's 303(d) List of Impaired/TMDL Waters, which identifies waterbodies that do not support their designated best use. The 303(d) list is updated every two years and DEC must submit a new list to the Environmental Protection Agency by April 1, 2014.

As a first step in the update process, the Division of Water is asking the public to submit water quality data and information for any waterbody in New York. This information will be considered during the update process and will help make the 2014 303(d) list more complete.

How do I submit water quality data?

Mail or email the following items to the Division of Water by September 30, 2013:

Mail and email addresses for submitting water quality data:

  • NYSDEC, Division of Water
    Bureau of Watershed Assessment & Management
    625 Broadway, 4th Floor
    Albany, NY 12233-3502
  • 4pwlinfo@gw.dec.state.ny.us
More about the 303(d) list update process and submitting water quality data

DEC's 303(d) List of Impaired/TMDL Waters webpage has more information about the process of updating the 303(d) list. Scroll down to the heading "The 2014 CWA Section 303(d) List."

Wastewater Operator Training Classes

At DEC's request, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) is hosting three training classes for New York's wastewater operators:

  • Care of Emergency Generators -- April 25 in Sherrill, NY.
  • Chemical Metering: Pump Alternatives & Smart Technology -- April 26 in Yorktown, NY.
  • Wastewater Microbiology -- June 25-26 in Fort Edward, NY.

All three classes are approved for wastewater operator renewal contact hours. Please register at least 7 days before the class you are interested in.

More information, including registration instructions, is on the NEIWPCC website. A direct link is in the "Links Leaving DEC's Website" section of the right-hand column of this page.

Articles about Water by DEC Staff

Division of Water employees regularly write articles for the magazine Clearwaters, the quarterly publication of the New York Water Environment Association. The Articles about Water by DEC Staff webpage houses these, and other, water-related articles written by DOW staff and others in DEC. Visit it often to see additional articles that will be posted.

Division Web Pages

Carpenter Falls
Carpenter Falls

The Division of Water's information on the web falls mainly into one of the two following locations:

  • Water Pollution Control - Information, guidance material and forms on the various programs the Division of Water administers to control sources of water pollution.
  • Lands and Waters - Water resource information is divided into the following categories:
    • Watersheds, Lakes Rivers: Information on NYS watersheds and other water bodies
    • Oceans & Estuaries: NYS marine and estuary resource information
    • Groundwater: Aquifer and groundwater information & resources
    • Dam Safety, Coastal & Flood Protection: Program information related to flood protection, floodplain development, dam safety, and coastal management
    • Water Supply & Reclamation: Information on protecting New York's public water supplies and drought information

Division's Mission

The Mission of the Division of Water is to protect and conserve the water resources of New York State. This mission is accomplished through a wide range of programs and activities. Some of these are statewide in their scope and apply to all parts of the state. Other efforts are targeted to address water quality and quantity issues in specific regions of the state, focusing on waterbodies or watersheds where these issues are of particular concern. Still other programs target specific contaminants (e.g., mercury) or sources (e.g., stormwater runoff) or impacts (e.g., acid rain) of pollution.


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