DEP Biweekly Reports Folder 0049, 2000-2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

As part of the historic Watershed Memorandum of Agreement of 1997, DEP provides over a million dollars to the CWC for grants that fund educational projects in the watershed and in the City. DEP and New York University School of Education's Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education partnered with CPF to produce the conference. The conference was a great opportunity for teachers to participate in workshops and hear from environmental professionals and educators in order to help stimulate dialogue and share resources for making water a stimulating part of the classroom curriculum. The conference began with an optional viewing of the South Street Seaport Museum's new exhibition "Healing Waters" and closed with a performance, supported by the Education Grants Program, of "City that Drinks the Mountain Sky."

City that Drinks the Mountain Sky A group of 23 high school students from the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church came to New York City on March 22nd to study the New York City water environment. Their seminar was designed by. the United Methodist Seminar Program on National and International Affairs. While in New York, the group took a tour of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant and viewed "City that Drinks the Mountain Sky," at the Washington Square United Methodist Church which was performed there as part of "Water Power: A Conference for Educators."

City Comptroller Audit of Water and Sewer Collectionsfrom Parks Concessionaires The City Comptroller has been conducting an audit of how well the City collects water and sewer charges from entities who have concession agreements with the Parks Department. As the property owner, Parks includes in their concession agreements a provision requiring the concessionaire to meter their facility and to pay water and sewer charges. We are working with Parks to develop procedures ,to ensure that concessionaires are metered and to prohibit them from incurring delinquencies in excess of their security deposits. In addition, we have asked Parks to demand payment from their delinquent concessionaires prior to DEP taking stronger action. This will allow us to give a coordinated response to the Comptroller when a draft is issued.

Emergency Response

Heavy Rains. March 21 and 22, 2001 - Minor Street Flooding and Sewer Backups; Citywide Heavy rain fall in the Metropolitan area Wednesday, March 21, and Thursday, March 22, 2001, caused some roadway flooding and sewer backups. Central Communications processed nine. hundred-five sewer and flooding related complaints during the two day storm. In general, the roadway flooding was the result of an accumulation of debris over gratings that obstructed the flow into catch basins. DEP personnel patrolling area highways removed the debris and the flooding quickly subsided. In some areas the sewer system was temporarily overtaxed and backed-up; however, the system quickly recovered. Maintenance crews were ordered to extend their normal shifts in order to address problem areas.

-2-

NYC-WTC 000137976