One of the biggest remaining threats to Hudson River water quality -- and a barrier to us being able to swim and enjoy beaches along our treasured waterway -- is sewage. The problem is inadequate treatment systems.
The 1972 Clean Water Act set a goal of swimmable waterways by 1986. Gov. George E. Pataki's goal of a swimmable Hudson River by 2009 remains elusive due to unchecked suburban sprawl and antiquated treatment plants. Portions of the Hudson River, such as a significant section near our capital city, Albany, do not meet safe water quality standards.
Fighting for Public Health
Raw sewage can result in disease causing parasites, bacteria and viruses in the water. Exposure to untreated sewage makes people and wildlife sick and kills fish. Sewage is the second-largest known cause of U.S. beach closures and advisories every year.
Needed improvements are expensive, and funding is scarce. According to a recent analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, in 2005 New York will receive almost $27 million less -- an 18-percent decrease from the previous year -- in federal monies for clean water.
Scenic Hudson will push for modernized sewage treatment requirements to protect public health and advocate for increased government funding for clean water improvements.
How Does Sewage Escape?
Some sewers are designed only to handle rain or stormwater, while others -- sanitary sewers -- are intended to take wastewater to a treatment plant. Storm and sanitary sewers, either directly or indirectly, can carry pollutants into streams and the Hudson.
In some Hudson Valley areas, storm and sanitary sewers are combined. During high rainfall the amount of water going into the system can exceed the treatment plant's ability to handle incoming water, resulting in an overflow -- releasing untreated sewage into our waterways.
Sewage in the river is a new area of emphasis for Scenic Hudson, so stay in touch for how you can help. |
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| Illustration by: Dan Baxter |
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