Water
New Yorkers enjoy an abundance of clean rivers, streams, lakes and coastal waters. These waters serve as the source for recreation, fishing, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing. DEC works continuously to manage and protect this valuable resource.
This page provides information on topics related to these programs for the management and protection of the waters of New York State, including:
- Water Discharge Permits (Stormwater, CAFO, WWT, Pesticide, Compliance)
- Water Quality and Monitoring (Streams & Lakes, Reports, Guidelines)
- Dam Safety, Coastal & Flood Protection
- Water Resource Information (Watersheds, Groundwater, Supply)
- Information for Municipalities and Not-for-profits
- Guidance & Regulations
- Publications and Articles about Water
Water Discharge Permits
NYSDEC works continuously to ensure that the water in New York is safe for drinking, fishing, swimming and boating. The following programs promote water quality by regulating discharges into water, enforcing permits, etc...
Stormwater
Stormwater Culvert
Stormwater, or runoff, is from rain or snowmelt that flows over the ground and does not soak in. As it travels over the ground, it collects and moves pollutants to water bodies and lowers water quality. Information on the General Permits, training and public review documents can be found on the main Stormwater web page.
Green Infrastructure for Wet Weather
Green infrastructure practices help manage stormwater by controlling runoff at its source, removing pollutants, and reducing the amount of runoff flowing to sewer systems and nearby waterbodies. For more information, visit the Green Infrastructure web page.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
CAFOs are agricultural facilities where large numbers of animals are kept within a much smaller area than traditional pasture operations. The concentration of the wastes from these animals increases the potential to pollute water and impact the environment. Visit the CAFO web page for more information.
Pesticide
The use of an aquatic pesticide with a New York State Accepted Pesticide Label to surface waters of New York will require coverage under the Pesticides SPDES General Permit starting around April 1, 2011. Information on the SPDES General Permit, fact sheet, PDMP template and public information meeting can be found on the Pesticide General Permit web page.
Wastewater Treatment (WWT) & Sewers
WWT Settling tank
Ineffective wastewater treatment is a common source of water pollution. NYSDEC provides training and technical assistance to the regulated wastewater community to promote compliance, improve performance and prevent water pollution. Information on wastewater treatment is available on the WWT web page.
NYSDEC provides municipalities information on local sewer use, sewer overflow plans, and a Model Sewer Use Law. Visit the Sewer web page for more information.
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) collect runoff, domestic and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. During rainfall, the CSO capacity may be exceeded causing the excess to overflow directly into the receiving waterbody. More information is available on the CSO web page.
Compliance & Enforcement
The goal of compliance and enforcement is to ensure consistent, statewide understanding and implementation of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) program in order to promote water quality and public health in New York State. The Compliance & Enforcement web page has more information on this topic.
Water Quality & Monitoring
NYSDEC has several programs that measure and report on the quality of waters in New York State. These include conducting statewide monitoring of waterbodies, preparing assessment reports, developing standards and conducting research.
Stream and Lake Monitoring
DEC conducts monitoring of lakes, rivers and streams throughout the state in order to determine the overall quality of the water and to identify potential problems. The Routine Statewide Monitoring Program web page has more information on these programs.
Stream Biomonitoring and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
A macroinvertebrate belonging to
the Mayfly family
These organisms include insects, worms, clams, snails, and crustaceans, and are used to monitor the water quality of streams and rivers. Information on Stream Biomonitoring (purpose and procedures) and a pictorial key of the aquatic macroinvertebrates is available. Also available is a 30 Year Trends Report on macroinvertebrate sampling results.
Water Quality Reports
Once monitoring results are evaluated, reports are written, detailing the current water quality for the waters of New York State. The reports include the Waterbody Inventory and priority Waterbodies List, as well as the Clean Water Act Section 305(b) State Water Quality Report and the CWA Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. These can be found on the Water Quality Assessments and Reporting page.
Water Protection & Management
A wide range of strategies are used to protect and improve the quality of the waters in New York State. The Water Quality Management web page includes information on water-quality based effluent limits, watershed management groups, dredge materials management, and water quality restoration strategies such as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
Mercury in Water
Mercury is a pollutant that can enter surface waters and accumulate in fish, which is a potential health concern to people who consume them. Information on the Northeast Mercury TMDL and the Pollutant Minimization Program Guide is available.
Criteria & Guidelines for Protecting Water
Information on the criteria and standards for monitoring water quality, permitting and compliance can be found on the Water Quality Standards and Analytical Support web page.
Research & Special Projects
Contaminant research off the coast
of New York
NYSDEC conducts projects focusing on specific waterbodies, contaminants, pollution sources or trends. To learn more about what is being done, visit the Water Quality Research & Special Projects web page.
Drugs in our Waters
Improper disposal of drugs can contaminate our lakes, rivers and streams. Information on pharmaceuticals in our waters, what to do with unused drugs, and information for pharmacies.
Dishwasher Detergent and Fertilizer Law
Explanation of the law that prohibits the sale of phosphorus-containing dishwasher detergent and fertilizer for homeowners.
Dam Safety, Coastal & Flood Protection
Flood damage in Bushnell Creek
DEC provides technical support on, and regulates dams in NYS, and also promotes proper floodplain management in communities across the state. Visit the Dam Safety, Coastal & Flood Protection page for more information on these programs.
Water Resource Information
Watersheds, Lakes & Rivers
Information is available on the surface waters of New York State, which include the 17 major watersheds in New York State, the NYC Watershed, Chesapeake Bay, Reservoir Releases, Recreational Rivers, and the Submerged Heritage Program. The web page, Watersheds, Lakes, Rivers help viewers locate and find information on their area of interest.
Groundwater
Information on aquifers, groundwater mapping and water quality, and maps of New York's Primary and Principal Aquifers are available on the groundwater page.
Water Supply & Conservation
DEC regulates and offers technical guidance for public water supply wells, registers water well contractors and provides information on droughts. The Water Supply & Conservation page has information and links to information on these topics.
Information for Municipalities and Not-for-Profits
The Division of Water also provides information for various audiences, including public officials and homeowners. Listed below are web pages that contain information on a wide range of topics.
Grant Applications
This web page contains links to information on the NYSDEC grant programs.
Information for Public Officials and Municipal Employees
The Information for Public Officials & Municipal Employees page is organized to help locate information that will be useful to people working for, or contracting with, municipal governments.
Guidance & Regulations
Regulations
The NYSDEC's regulations web page lists New York State Register and Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR).
Proposed, Recently Adopted and Emergency Regulations
Proposed Regulations, recently adopted regulations and emergency rules are available for viewing. Recently adopted regulations will be kept for 12 months on this page.
Guidance Documents
Documents providing guidance information information for a variety of water related issues such as flood, dam, storm water and wastewater.
Publications and Articles about Water
Articles about Water by DEC Staff
Staff at DEC have written articles on a wide variety of topics relating to water issues: Green Infrastructure, SPDES, Stormwater, CAFO, and Watersheds. New articles will be continually added to the page.
Columns by DEC Staff in ClearWaters "WaterViews"
This archive contains quarterly columns on a wide range ot fopics relating to water quality issues in New York State.
Publications, Maps & Grant Programs
DEC's publications, electronic and printable maps, and information on various grant programs.
Top 10 Water Quality Issues in New York
The Division of Water has identified the ten most common causes of poor water quality in New York State. Print quality fact sheets are available for download.
