Environment DEC
From the September 2008 issue
Maintaining New York State's Rivers, Lakes and Streams
An environmental and government collaborative has been formed to help tackle a looming water infrastructure crisis facing New York State. The Clean Water Collaborative will focus on funding solutions for the state's mounting wastewater and drinking-water infrastructure needs. Due to decreasing federal aid, communities will have to spend in excess of $50 billion during the next 20 years to make required upgrades to meet federal requirements.
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Repairs for municipal wastewater treatment plants and drinking water infrastructure are estimated to exceed $50 billion dollars over the next 20 years.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) estimates that repairs for municipal wastewater treatment systems statewide will be $36.2 billion, while repairs for drinking-water infrastructure could exceed $20 billion in the same 20-year period. Additionally, federal support for water infrastructure has plummeted roughly 70 percent in the last two decades, delaying critical maintenance and contributing to violations of the Clean Water Act. Hundreds of sewage and wastewater treatment facilities have deteriorated.
Infrastructure and Water Quality
Aging wastewater infrastructure is tied directly to the quality of New York State's waters. A DEC study documented the correlation between wastewater infrastructure and water quality, finding that water quality declines when infrastructure is retained beyond its design life or is inadequately maintained. Many of the state's sewage and wastewater facilities are past their design lives; 30 percent of the sewer pipes across the state were installed just after World War II, and a quarter of wastewater treatment plants are more than 30 years old.
Clean Water Collaborative
Governor Paterson established the statewide Clean Water Collaborative to further identify and work on funding for this critical infrastructure. The members of this group have diverse backgrounds in environmental, business, labor and state and local government, including Sandra Allen, who served as DEC's Director of the Division of Water for six years, and James Tierney, Assistant Commissioner for Water Resources.
Additional information can be found in the March 2008 DEC report entitled "Wastewater Infrastructure Needs of New York State."
