November 21, 2019

Angela Licata

NYC Department of Environmental Protection

Deputy Commissioner

Water Quality and Natural Resources

2

Improving the Quality of Our Waterways

Fecal ColiformSummer Geometric Means

20171985

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$-

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1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

CS

O P

rog

ram

Cu

mu

lati

ve C

ost

($B

)

An

nu

al

CS

O V

olu

me (

BG

Y)

Annual CSO Volume (BGY) CSO Program Cumulative Cost ($Billions)

Projected CSO Reduction with LTCP Projects

1973-2011

• $40B in WWTP

investments

• Upgraded 12 WWTPs

to secondary treatment

• Built 2 new WWTPs

Actual Estimated

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Why Natural Systems?

• Water quality improvements through large infrastructure solutions.

• New infrastructure projects produce incremental improvements as past investments

have already provided substantial cost effective water quality improvements.

• Sustainable and nature-based approaches need to be part of the toolbox

• Protect, preserve and improve water quality, and also provide substantial ecological lift.

Idlewild Separate Sewer Construction, 1994

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Example Wetland Restoration Projects

Alley Creek

Jamaica

Bay

Paerdegat

Basin

Map Source: Google Earth

Penn. & Fountain

Landfills

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Alley Creek Wetland Project

Active Alley Creek Wetland

Demonstration Site

Primary

Channel

Secondary

Channel

Tertiary Channel

Primary Channel

Alley Creek

Alley Creek 2010

Wetland Restoration

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Alley Creek Project Drivers

Tidal Wetlands and Pathogen Reduction

• Evaluate tidal wetland systems for their ability to remove nutrients and fecal

indicator bacteria (FIB) to improve water quality.

• Working with the Science and Resiliency Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIJB)

• Water column and sediment parameters to be measured include:

o Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB)

o Dissolved oxygen

o Nitrogen and phosphorus

o Total suspended solids

o pH

o Salinity

Alley Creek 2010 Wetland Restoration

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Alley Creek Restoration

Tidal flows bring water

into the system

Channels

enhance contact

Bacteria attach

to vegetation

UV light eliminates

bacterial light

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Ribbed Mussels and Pathogen Reduction

• DEP is coordinating with the New York State Department Environmental Conservation

(DEC), Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Stony Brook

University

• Evaluating the potential for using ribbed mussel (guekensia demissa) for water quality

improvements.

• Ribbed mussels are possibly unique among bivalves in also possessing the ability to

filter and digest free bacteria.

• Existing research confirms that ribbed mussels have removal efficiencies of greater

than 10% for particle sizes between 0.2 - 2 µm (within fecal coliform range of sizes)

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Jamaica Bay Marsh Island Restorations

Map Source: Google Earth

Rulers

Bar

Black

Wall

Yellow Bar

Elders West

Elders East

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Jamaica Bay – Elders West Restoration

Salvaging native sod Wetland construction

Installed wetland Mature wetland

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Paerdegat Restoration & Beneficial Sand Reuse

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Paerdegat Basin Restoration

Restoration of cleared areas

with maritime grassland

habitat; water views

Debris and garbage removed

Placement of upland sand and

tidal wetland planting

Invasive vines and vegetation

cleared

Protection and preservation of

native vegetationPost Restoration

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Paerdegat Basin After Restoration

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Pennsylvania & Fountain Landfills

Historical Context

• Green Shading are shoreline and

wetlands in late 1800’s

• Approximately 85% of all tidal

wetlands have been lost in NYC

• JB wetlands were originally 16,000

acres, now 1,200 acres remain

Pre-development shoreline & wetlands

Source: US National Archives

Landfill Restoration

• 400 acres restored

• Used a diversity of local native

plant species – different from using

a layer of grass/sod

• Renamed Shirley Chisholm State

Park in 2018

Penn. Landfill, 1973 Penn. Restoration

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Thank You

Source: Eric Salard, Flickr

Source: Kenneth Dellaquila, Flickr

Source: Mitch Waxman, NY Beach Ferry