DEP Biweekly Reports Folder 0049, 2000-2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Updates

General Water Quality and Quantity As of March 30, the reservoirs were at 91.7% of capacity. Normal capacity for this time of year is 94.4%. Consumption for March 29 was 1103.0 million gallons (see attached chart - Mayors copy only). Above normal precipitation in the month of March has raised reservoir levels to just about normal for this year. The storm of March 29th and 30th brought 1½ to 2 inches of rain throughout the watershed. Runoff into the reservoirs is due to a combination of precipitation and melting snow. As of March 28th, there was approximately 104 billion gallons of water stored in the snowpack in the New York City watershed. Nearly all of that water will enter watershed tributaries and the reservoirs during April, bringing the probability of total refill of the reservoirs by June 1st to 100%. As of midday today the precipitation had not led to widespread flooding in the watershed. There have been localized flooding events, but not enough to lead to significant property damage or severe water quality concerns. However, if rain and warm weather in the next few weeks leads to a quick melting of the snowpack, the City could face high levels of turbidity in certain reservoirs. With the flexibility of our system we are confident that we can change flows to increase flows from unaffected areas of our system to maintain high quality water service.

FAD Annual Report Under the Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD), DEP is required to submit to EPA an annual report on its efforts to protect the Catskill/Delaware watershed by March 31 of each year. DEP has just completed the report for the year 2000. The report catalogues the tremendous achievements of the year just past, including continued acquisition of key watershed lands; repair of nearly 200 septic systems, bringing the total repaired in the last 4 years to approximately 1,500; review of more 2,000 watershed projects pursuant to the Watershed Rules and Regulations; meeting and exceeding the FAD goals for implementation of the Watershed Agricultural Program; and advancement of the program to upgrade all non-City-owned wastewater treatment plants in the watershed.

Quarterly State Coordination Meeting Staff chaired the most recent quarterly meeting with State agencies to coordinate on watershed issues. Topics addressed included State plans for widening Route 22, which passes through a portion of the east of Hudson watershed; the current status of wastewater diversion plans for Putnam and Westchester County; efforts by the State to implement non-point source pollution controls designed to bring certain reservoirs into compliance with their Total Maximum Daily Loads for phosphorus; and the status of the State's review of DEP's proposal to ban a certain type of subsurface wastewater disposal system in the watershed.

DEP Employees Honored Three DEP employees (Amy Flavin, Frances Leung and Kim Hanna) were recognized at a City Hall ceremony honoring Women in the Uniformed Services. The event was hosted by the your Commission on the Status of Women.

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NYC-WTC 000137978