Tell New York City it's time to cut the crap

Sewage

On days when it hasn’t recently rained, city waters are typically safe for kayaking and recreation. Really! But almost every time it rains, polluted stormwater runoff mixes with raw sewage in the combined sewer system and overflows into our waterways where people swim, fish, and boat. These are called “combined sewer overflows.” New York City discharges more than 20 billion gallons of sewage each year. That volume could fill the Empire State Building 72 times!

The problem is as gross — and dangerous — as it sounds. People who come into contact with contaminated water are at risk of developing intestinal illnesses, rashes, and infections.

New York City must properly notify the public when its sewers are discharging. Demand that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection comply with the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act.

Instructions:

Read the sample letter (below) and add your own thoughts on why this is important to you. Personalized messages have a greater impact!

Recipients

Vincent Sapienza, Commissioner, DEP

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Message

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Dear [Decision Maker],

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New York City is required under the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act to provide notice to the public within four hours of combined sewer overflow discharges. The law protects New Yorkers from unwittingly coming into contact with raw sewage, which can cause gastroenteritis, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, respiratory infections, meningitis, hepatitis and other illnesses.

New York City notifies the public once per day only when it believes there is a water quality violation in receiving waters. When city sewers are discharging but there is no water quality violation, there is no notification. This practice puts New Yorkers in jeopardy, especially those who live, work or recreate near city shore areas. There are 460 sewer outfalls that may discharge at any given time. More than 20 billion gallons are discharged from these outfalls every year. It is unacceptable for the city to fail to issue notices when sewage is flowing into our waters.

I support the action taken by Riverkeeper, Save the Sound and other environmental organizations to demand proper sewage discharge notices. I demand that New York City comply with the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act and issue proper notices within four hours of its discovery of sewage discharges. These notices must provide relevant information necessary for New Yorkers to take precautions to avoid harm from contact with raw sewage.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]