HOW’S THE WATER? 2015 Fecal Contamination in the Hudson River and its Tributaries Riverkeeper is a member-supported organization. Our mission is to protect the environmental, recreational and commercial integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and to safeguard the drinking water of nine million New York City and Hudson Valley residents. 2 RIVERKEEPER HOW’S THE WATER? 2015 Fecal Contamination in the Hudson River and its Tributaries TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Report ........................................................... 4 Acknowledgments ........................................................... 5 Executive Summary .......................................................... 6 Sources of Contamination .................................................... 8 Riverkeeper’s Water Quality Studies ........................................... 12 How to Read Riverkeeper’s Data Charts ........................................ 13 Findings: ................................................................ 14–19 Hudson River Estuary .................................................... 14 Hudson River Estuary: Rain Analysis ....................................... 16 Hudson River Estuary: Regional Analysis .................................... 17 Tributaries: Regional Analysis ............................................. 18 Tributaries and NYC Shorelines: Rain Analysis .............................. 19 Maps and Data, Site by Site ............................................... 20-28 Hudson River Estuary .................................................... 20 Catskill Creek and Esopus Creek .......................................... 22 Rondout Creek and Wallkill River .......................................... 24 Sparkill Creek and Pocantico River ........................................ 26 New York City Area ...................................................... 28 Action Agenda .............................................................. 30 Success Stories ............................................................. 34 What You Can Do ........................................................... 36 Appendix: Waterborne Illnesses .............................................. 37 Endnotes ................................................................... 38 HOW’S THE WATER? 2015 3 ABOUT THIS REPORT 2014 Water Quality Program Data Use Policy John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper, director These water quality data are made freely available Dan Shapley, Riverkeeper, manager and author to the public, and we encourage their wide use. Jennifer Epstein, Riverkeeper, associate However, if you use the data for research, policy, or Dr. Gregory O’Mullan, CUNY Queens College, educational purposes, we ask for notification. Data science advisor should not be posted on any website, but links can Dr. Andrew Juhl, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory be made to riverkeeper.org. If the Riverkeeper data of Columbia University, science advisor are used as background or ancillary information for Carol Knudson, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory any presentation, publication, website, or educational of Columbia University, research assistant product, please cite its source. This report summarizes data gathered by different groups, and each set of data Questions? should be cited differently: Contact Dan Shapley at [email protected] or 914-478-4501 x226 • Hudson River Estuary data: “Data collected by O’Mullan GD, Juhl AR, and 2015 Report Lipscomb J, available at www.riverkeeper.org.” In addition to the Water Quality Program team, • Tributary community science data: assistance in preparing this report came from Paul “Data collected by Riverkeeper in partnership Gallay, Missy Falkenberg, Kara Matthews, Sean Dixon, with residents of the Hudson Valley, available at Chloe Heintz, Tara D’Andrea, John Mickelson and www.riverkeeper.org.” Kaitlyn Shaw. • New York City community science data: “Data collected by New York City Water Trail Design and layout: New Leaf Graphic Design Association and The River Project, in partnership with more than 20 community boathouses, Printing: Executive Printing, Elmsford, N.Y. community groups, and waterfront parks.” Paper: Enviro 100 paper, made from 100% post- Visit riverkeeper.org/water-quality for additional data, consumer waste including from samples gathered in 2015. Cover Photo Swimmers in the Hudson River at Croton Point, courtesy Toughman Triathlon. © Riverkeeper 2015 4 RIVERKEEPER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ver nearly 10 years, many people and organizations have contributed to the funding, study design, data collection, data analysis, data presentation, and advocacy related to Riverkeeper’s Water Quality Program. OThese acknowledgements focus on those who contributed in 2014, but we wish to thank all who have assisted, including Tracy Brown, Director of Western Sound Programs for Save the Sound; Brian Brigham, research assistant at CUNY Queens College; and the data visualization team at NiJeL. 2014 Community Science Partners 2014 Funding Many groups and individuals have participated in the Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation, Chris community science projects described in this report. and Suzanne Augustin, City University of New York, While all individuals are not listed here, we thank Dale and Laura Kutnick, Dextra Baldwin McGonagle them all. Listed here are groups that have collected and Foundation, Double R Foundation, Eppley Foundation processed samples: for Research, HSBC Water Programme, Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research, • Catskill Creek Watershed Awareness Project Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia • Gardiner Environmental Conservation Commission University, John McLaughlin, Michele Hertz and • Montgomery Conservation Advisory Council Larry Friedman, The Nancy and Edwin Marks Family • New York City Water Trail Association and The Foundation, New England Interstate Water Pollution River Project, which partner with more than Control Commission (NEIWPCC), S. Mackintosh 20 community boathouses, community groups, Pulsifer, Mike Richter, Sun Hill Foundation, Wallace waterfront parks, and labs Research Foundation, and many Riverkeeper members. • Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance (data available at riverkeeper.org) The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the • Rochester Environmental Conservation Commission views and policies of NEIWPCC or any other funder, • Rosendale Commission for Conservation of the nor does the mention of trade names or commercial Environment products constitute endorsement or recommendation • Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance for use. • Wawarsing Environmental Conservation Commission Riverkeeper’s citizen sampling program is recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative as a Commitment to Action—a plan for addressing a significant global challenge. HOW’S THE WATER? 2015 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY It will take years to achieve the goal of making the Hudson River Estuary and its tributaries consistently safe for swimming. Let’s get to work. Kids leap into the tidal Rondout Creek in Kingston. Photo by John Lipscomb/Riverkeeper nvestments in clean water infrastructure over decades Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; and in Hudson have dramatically improved water quality On many River tributaries and at New York City public water Idays, in many places throughout the Hudson River access points by dozens of community scientists. As Estuary, water quality is excellent for swimming. measured against the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended Beach Action Value for safe swimming: In 2014, nearly 6,500 people swam in organized public swim events in the Hudson River Estuary and New • 23% of Hudson River estuary samples fail. York Harbor,1 and thousands more swam at public • 72% of Hudson River tributary samples fail. beaches or other water access points.2 • 48% of New York City-area water access point samples fail. While the people of the Hudson Valley have made much progress toward achieving the Clean Water Act After periods of dry weather, the Hudson River Estuary goal of making the watershed safe for swimming, we are is safe for swimming in many locations. But after rain, failing to adequately protect these waters—the public’s the water is more likely to be contaminated, especially beach. There is a documented immediate need for more in areas affected by combined sewer overflows and than 315 Hudson Valley and New York City wastewater streetwater runoff. 4 projects, at a cost of $5.9 billion.3 Rain also dramatically increases the degree of fecal This report demonstrates the cost of failing to make contamination in the tributaries we have sampled those investments, and of failing to adequately enforce with community science5 partners. The sources of this the Clean Water Act, particularly in the tributaries of contamination are likely complex, which points to the the Hudson. The information presented here is based on steep challenge of achieving improvements in water more than 6,000 water samples collected in the Hudson quality. Sources are known or suspected to include— River estuary by Riverkeeper, CUNY Queens and each to an unknown degree—nearly 1,000 permitted 6 RIVERKEEPER wastewater discharge outfalls,6 thousands of streetwater FINDINGS AT A GLANCE outfalls,7 hundreds of thousands of septic systems, 8 thousands of farms9 and countless wild animals. CONTAMINATION VARIES The Hudson River Valley has been a laboratory for At Hudson River Estuary sites sampled, the environmental movement since its inception, and contamination varies from location to location, and