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2017 Quality Report

Bill de Blasio, Mayor Vincent Sapienza, Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, P.E. Commissioner

Dear Friends,

With 522 miles of shoreline, ’s waterways are one of our greatest assets. Over the past decade, the City has invested more than $12 billion to up- grade the sewer system and wastewater treatment plants to improve the health of these critical ecosystems. This investment, over time, has produced many ecolog- ical successes, ushering in the return of a variety of plant and animal species to our – including whales! It has also allowed for the redevelopment of vast swaths of our waterfront and numerous recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

These encouraging signs further illustrate that is healthier than it has been in more than a century. This historic achievement is a direct result of sub- stantial investment in our infrastructure, utilization of innovative new technologies, and partnerships with elected officials, environmental advocates, and New Yorkers who share our commitment to the natural world. As a protector of public health and the environment, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is leading efforts to restore the Harbor’s natural ecology, from building and separating sewers, to significantly reducing discharges and reconstructing acres of natural .

I am pleased to share the 2017 Harbor Report and I encourage you to read this in conjunction with the NYC Management Plan, the NYC Green Infrastructure Annual Report and the State of the Sewers Annual Report to gain a more complete view of the City’s coordinated efforts to restore our vital waterways.

Sincerely,

Vincent Sapienza, P.E. Commissioner TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 3

Synopsis of Four Major Indicators of Environmental Change...... 8

2017 NYC DEP Harbor Survey Monitoring Stations ...... 9

NYC DEP Wastewater Treatment Plants and CSOs...... 10

Inner Harbor Water Quality ...... 11 Dissolved ...... 12 Chlorophyll ‘a’...... 13 Secchi Transparency...... 13

Upper – Western Long Water Quality Bacteria ...... 14 Dissolved Oxygen...... 15 Chlorophyll ‘a’...... 16 Secchi Transparency...... 16

Jamaica Water Quality Bacteria ...... 17 Dissolved Oxygen...... 18 Chlorophyll ‘a’...... 19 Secchi Transparency...... 19

Lower – Water Quality Bacteria ...... 20 Dissolved Oxygen...... 21 Chlorophyll ‘a’...... 22 Secchi Transparency...... 22

Nitrogen ...... 23

Harbor-Wide Improvements ...... 25

Harbor-Wide Water Quality Improvements ...... 26 Dissolved Oxygen...... 27 Chlorophyll ‘a’...... 28 INTRODUCTION

ew York City has monitored the waterways of New York Harbor for more than a century through its N Harbor Survey Program. The Survey was initiated in 1909 in response to public outcry over , and sought to study the relationship between wastewater and harbor water quality. By this time, New York Harbor had long-served as a global hub for commerce and industry and, due to high levels of pollution and bacteria, had lost the ability to support and recreation. The City would eventually construct 14 wastewater treatment plants to accommodate a growing population. The Harbor Survey Program has also since expanded to include 89 monitoring stations, with 40 located in open waters and another 49 located in tributaries. The number of water quality parameters measured has also increased from just five in 1909, to 27 at present. Wastewater Treatment Plant As the largest municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, DEP carries out an expansive environmental Located in ’s Greenpoint neigh- mission to protect waterbodies both in and around New borhood, the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest of New York York, investing billions of dollars in new infrastructure, while City’s 14 wastewater treatment facilities, pioneering advancements in wastewater treatment and situated on 53 acres and serving more resource recovery. Over the last decade, water quality in than 1 million people in parts of Brooklyn, New York Harbor has improved to the point that many , and . On average, the waterways are now utilized for recreation and commerce facility treats about 18% of New York City’s throughout the year. wastewater, or 310 million gallons each dry day, with double the capacity when it rains. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS

THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS Bypass Main Wastewater Primary Primary Aeration Final Chlorination Settling Screening Pump Tank Settling To Outfall

Seed Sludge Secondary Primary Sludge Sludge

Gravity Thickener

Sludge Storage and Dewatering Anaerobic Digester 3 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Every day more than 8.6 million New Yorkers send more than a billion gallons of wastewater down toilets and drains into New York City’s 7,500 miles of sewer lines and then to one of DEP’s 14 Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). At WWTPs, physical and biological processes closely duplicate how wetlands, rivers, , and lakes naturally purify water. While the natural treatment of wastewater can take weeks, treatment at a plant is comparatively quick, taking only seven hours to remove most pollutants.

INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE New York City, like other older urban communities, is largely serviced by a system where stormwater that falls on roofs, streets, and sidewalks, and wastewater from homes and 26th Ward Wastewater Treatment Plant Earns ASCE Award businesses, are carried through a single sewer line to treatment plants. The City’s 14 treatment plants The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) can manage and treat to federal recently named DEP’s 26th Ward Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn an “Infrastructure Game standards all the wastewater created in New York Changer.” The treatment plant is currently undergo- City on a dry weather day, or about 1.3 billion ing a $150 million upgrade. gallons on average. On a rainy day they have the capacity to clean more than twice the dry weather flows. However, during intense precipitation events, the stormwater that falls on the City’s impervious surfaces exceeds that capacity and overflows can be discharged into local waterways, otherwise known as a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). If the overflows were not discharged, the City’s treatment plants would be flooded and severely damaged and wastewater could backup into homes and businesses. To reduce CSO’s, DEP has upgraded key wastewater treatment facilities, expanded and separated storm sewers, constructed large CSO retention tanks, and has incorporated the nation’s largest green infrastructure program to further mitigate this source of pollution. The city’s standardized CSO capture rate has risen from about 30% in 1980, to over 80% today. DEP has committed $4.1 billion to these projects and has New Curbside Rain Gardens Beautify completed a series of Long Term Control Plans Each rain garden has been specially designed to col- which commit an additional $4.4 billion to further lect and absorb up to 2,500 gallons of stormwater mitigate the water quality impact of CSO events. each time it rains, or 12 million gallons each year. The remaining part of the City is serviced by the This project will ease pressure on the combined Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4. sewer system during heavy rain storms and reduce overflows into the . In MS4 areas, stormwater flows over streets and other impervious surfaces sweeping up pollutants such as oils, chemicals, , and sediments

4 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report and discharging it directly into local waterways. DEP recently released the NYC Stormwater Management Plan which describes several programs to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff in these areas and further improve water quality

SEPARATING SEWERS A $132 million project in the College Point neighborhood of Queens to separate the existing Combined Sewer System will reduce CSO’s into the Upper East River and . The work includes the construction of more than 400 new catch basins and nearly 12 miles of new sewers, allowing for the decommissioning of three existing combined sewer outfalls. It is estimated that CSO’s will be reduced by nearly 50 million gallons annually. Sewer Infrastructure Upgrades Work is also underway on a $56.5 million project DEP oversees a robust capital plan and is committed in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn that to separating sewers where feasible. This helps to will include the construction of more than 7 reduce street flooding and CSO’s, contributing to a miles of new, high-level storm sewers to collect healthier, more resilient New York Harbor. stormwater runoff, thereby diverting it from the existing combined sewer system and improving the health of Fresh Creek and . Additionally, the Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn is receiving nearly three miles of high level storm sewers which will create additional capacity in the neighborhood’s drainage system. The $52 million project will help to reduce street flooding and the amount of CSO that may be discharged into the Gowanus during heavy rain storms.

CAPTURING STORMWATER As traditional “grey” infrastructure upgrades have become increasingly more expensive, DEP has launched the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan. An alternative approach to improving harbor water quality, the plan combines traditional infrastructure upgrades and the integration of green infrastructure to capture and retain stormwater runoff before it can ever enter the sewer system and contribute to CSOs. DEP will New Green Playground Opens in Flushing invest $1.5 billion to build green infrastructure The Trust for Public Land and New York City unveiled by 2030. a state-of-the art “green” playground on a formerly cracked asphalt lot at the Edward Bleeker School, To date, more than 4,000 rain gardens have JHS 185, in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens. been constructed across the city. In addition to installing green infrastructure in the public right- of-way, DEP is also partnering with NYC Parks

5 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report and The Trust for Public Land to add stormwater- capturing green elements such as retention basins, permeable pavement and trees, to playgrounds in schoolyards and parks citywide. DEP has committed more than $50 million to NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative and has transformed more than a dozen asphalt schoolyards into green playgrounds through The Trust for Public Land’s Playground Program.

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION In addition to improving water quality through investments in more advanced wastewater treatment and stormwater management, DEP has committed to protecting and restoring marine ecosystems. In 2016 DEP completed the final phase of a $455 million upgrade of the area which has already led to significant improvements in water quality and aesthetics, including restoration Using as Natural Filters of over 50 acres of native and wetlands DEP joined the Billion Project in 2016 to install and the construction of a 5-acre Ecology Park. 50,000 oysters in Jamaica Bay – the largest single in- Earlier, DEP built and activated a 50-million gallon stallation of breeding oysters in New York City. CSO retention facility and dredged approximately 23,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of the Basin. In the larger Jamaica Bay area, DEP has worked with partners to restore 142 acres of and over 400 acres of maritime and forests. Similar restorations have taken place in Alley Creek, Flushing Bay and even Newtown Creek.

NITROGEN REDUCTION Nitrogen is the most common element in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a major building block of plant and animal proteins, as well as a key nutrient for all types of life. Although it is not a and poses no threat to human health, excess nitrogen can promote the growth of harmful and reduce levels of dissolved oxygen in waterbodies, limiting the ability of a waterbody to sustain a healthy ecosystem. NYC is a regional leader in reducing nitrogen Wetland Restoration in Flushing Bay discharges and following a $1 billion investment Following a sewer upgrade to reduce CSOs and in upgrades at four wastewater treatment plants, to eliminate , DEP restored more than the amount of nitrogen being discharged into the three acres of wetlands to improve the ecological health of Flushing Bay. Upper East River has been reduced by more than 60 percent. These significant upgrades are already

6 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report contributing to the improvement of the health and ecology of the East River, Sound and New York Harbor. Work is also underway on a $23 million upgrade to the Rockaway Wastewater Treatment Plant that will reduce the amount of nitrogen released into Jamaica Bay and help to improve the overall ecology of the waterway. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2020. This project complements the $460 million in upgrades that have already been completed to reduce nitrogen discharges from the Jamaica and 26th Ward Wastewater Treatment Plants, which similarly drain to Jamaica Bay.

HARBOR WATER QUALITY SURVEY PROGRAM AND REPORT In addition to the Harbor Survey Program, the City has several other water quality monitoring programs including the Sentinel Monitoring Program, Shoreline Survey, the Field Sampling and Analysis Program, and DEP reviews data collected by citizen scientists. Water quality data collected by DEP scientists in Summer 2017 will be presented in five sections, with four delineating each geographic region within the harbor, and one discussing nitrogen. The water quality parameters used as indicators of water quality for this report are bacteria (fecal coliform and enterococcus), dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll ‘a’ and Secchi transparency. These parameters and their relevance are explained in the synopsis that follows.

7 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report SYNOPSIS OF FOUR MAJOR INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Dissolved Oxygen - The oxygen dissolved in the Secchi Transparency - To estimate the clarity of water column is critical to respiration in most aquatic surface waters, DEP scientists record the visibility life forms, including fish and invertebrates such as of Secchi disks lowered into the water. High Secchi , clams, and zooplankton. Because oxygen is transparency (greater than 5.0 feet) indi­cates of clear essential for much ocean life, dissolved oxygen is one water, and reduced transparency is typically due to of the im­portant indicators of overall water quality. high suspended solids concentrations or plankton Where geography allows, DEP scientists measure blooms. These conditions to light-limiting the amount of oxygen dissolved in water at both the conditions, which affect primary productivity and surface and the bottom of the water column. nutrient cycling. Bacteria - Concentrations of certain bacteria Chlorophyll ‘a’ - Chlorophyll ‘a’ is a green pigment are measured as human health-related indica­tors found in most plants, algae, and phytoplank­ton. It is of harbor water quality. DEP scientists measure vital for , which allows plants to obtain concentrations of two groups of bacteria. Fecal energy from light. It can be used as an indicator of the coliform bacteria are found in human and animal health of an aquatic ecosystem’s primary producers, intestines and are associated with wastewater. These which are the base of the food chain. Overgrowth bacteria are widely used to indicate the possible of primary producers can indicate , presence of pathogenic (disease-producing) a high concentration of nutrients like nitro­gen and bacteria. Enterococci are a subgroup within the fecal phosphorus in a . Excess nutrients can streptococcus group and are distinguished by their cause high growth rates of and algae, abil­ity to survive in salt water. The US Environmental which can lead to negative secondary impacts like Protection Agency recommends enterococci as reduced light penetration, low dissolved oxygen, the best indicator of health risk in salt water used and the formation of hypoxic or “dead” zones. In for recreation. Bac­teria counts are calculated as coastal ecosystems, nitrogen is the limiting nutrient, summer geographic means for May to October. so sources of nitrogen discharge are important to understanding eutrophication in salt water.

Coliform and dissolved oxygen indicators are used in New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) standards to quantify ecosystem health or degradation. NYSDEC standards reflect a range of acceptable water quality conditions corresponding to the State-designated “best usage” of the water body. Common uses and NYSDEC standards for fecal coliform, enterococcus and dissolved oxygen are noted in the following chart.

COMMON WATER USE AND NYSDEC STANDARDS FOR SALINE WATERS

Dissolved Oxygen Class Best Usage of Waters Fecal Coliform Enterococcus (never-less-than)

Shellfishing and all other SA No standard 5.0 mg/L N/A recreational use

Monthly geometric mean less than (monthly geometric mean) - < 35 Cells / 100mL Bathing and other SB or equal to 200 cells/100 mL from 5.0 mg/L recreational use 5 or more samples (single sample) - Max 104 Cells / 100mL Monthly geometric mean less than I and Boating or equal to 2,000 cells/100 mL 4.0 mg/L N/A from 5 or more samples

SD Fish survival No standard 3.0 mg/L N/A

8 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report 2017 NYC DEP Harbor Survey Monitoring Stations 2017 NYC DEP HARBOR SURVEY MONITORING STATIONS

WESTCHESTER

N1 COUNTY NEW ! BR1 JERSEY ! ! HR2 L o n g ! I s l a n d r e HR03 S o u n d v i r HR1 R e ! v n i o R E12 s BRONX d m ! u le E10 H r a ! H WC2 ! NR1 H3 BR3 WC1 ! ! ! ! N3B! WC3 BR5! ! E13 E7 E14 ! ! E8 ! r ! a s t R i v e N U p p e r E E11 TR2 E4 ! ! A E6! LN1 N3C ! T ! FB1 ! TR1 T ! ! A FLC2 r ! ! H e ! ! AC1! N4 iv N R E15 t A s FLC1 AC2 a M E2 E NC3 ! ! NC2 ! QUEENS !NC1 !NC0 N5 ! U p p e r

y N e w Y o r k a GC3 B B a y k ! r ! GC4 a ! w N6 GC5 e ! N ! GC6 BB2 HC1 ! K1 G2 ! SP1 BB4 ! !HC2 ! ! K2 N7 F1! ! SP2 TB1 K3 ll ! !! J7!!JA1 ! ! an Ku BROOKLYN ! HC3 J8 TB2 ! Kill V F5 ! PB2 ! !J12 HOB ! ! J9A ! J a m a i c a ! J3 J18 PB3 ! ! B a y N8 J10 J14 !GHC ! J16 ! ! ! ! GB1 J2 J15 STATEN ! !J5 L o w e r CIC2 ISLAND N e w Y o r k ! ! ! K4 J11 y B a y !J1 wa ! N9A cka CIC3 ! ! Ro N9

l l i

K

r

u

h

t r N16

A ! K6 ! ! K5

! Open Water K5A R a r i t a n ! (! Triathlon B a y ! Tributary Sandy Inner Harbor Hook Jamaica Bay Lower NY Bay

Upper East River WLIS 0 3 6 Miles

9 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report NYC DEP Wastewater Pollution Control Plants and CSOs

NYC DEP WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND CSOs

Design 2017 Average Plant Flow Daily Flow (MGD) (MGD) WESTCHESTER Wards Island 275 199 COUNTY North River 170 109 Hunts Point 200 134 L o n g 26Th Ward 85 46 I s l a n d 110 92 S o u n d r BRONX ive Owls Head 120 94 R

m e rl Newtown Creek 310 211 North a River H Red Hook 60 27 ! ( Hunts Jamaica 100 77 Point r r i v e r e r E a s t R v U p p e Tallman Island 80 57 i (! R (! N 150 103 n A o (! Tallman s TT (! d Island Rockaway 45 19 u Wards Bowery H HA r Island ve Bay Oakwood Beach 39.9 29.8 N i R A st a Richmond 60 25 E M Newtown Total 1804.9 1222.8 (! Creek QUEENS (! Red Hook

NEW U p p e r Jamaica N e w Y o r k 26th (! JERSEY B a yy Ward n Kull (! Kill Va (! (! BROOKLYN J a m a i c a Port Owls B a y Richmond Head

Coney L o w e r (! ISLAND N e w Y o r k (! B a y Rockaway

y wa cka (! Ro l l

K i Oakwood

r

u Beach h

A r t 2017 WWTPs Flow (MGD) ATLANTIC OCEAN Flow2017 ! R a r i t a n ( 16 - 50 B a y (! Sandy 51 - 100 Hook (! 101 - 150 0 2.5 5 10 (! 151 - 250 Miles CSO Outfalls

10 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report INNER HARBORINNER HARBOR WATER QUALITY

Hudson River & Upper NY Bay N1 N1 M t. St. V incent NR1 North River WWTP The Inner Harbor is defined as the N3B West area including: the from N4 West er N5 Pier A - iv N6 Bell Buoy No. 31 the NYC-Westchester line, through N7 Robbins Reef Buoy No. 28 er the Battery to the Verrazano Narrows; G2 Gowanus iv BRONX East River Hudson R the Lower East River to the Battery; E2 East NR1 R and the - system. Staten Island N3B K1 B&O Coal Dock K2 This area contains 22 Harbor Survey K3 B&O Railroad Bridge K4 AN monitoring stations that have been K5 Tottenville T T grouped together due to common Newtown Creek N4 er iv NC0 English Kills ANHA water uses and functions as well as NC1 Amoco Tank Farm M ast R NC2 Maspeth Creek E QUEENS similarities in point-source loadings. NC3 Whale Creek NC3 E2 NC2 Gowanus Channel NC1 Waters of the Inner Harbor are often GC3 Union Street Bridge NC0 GC4 N5 continuous, through connecting GC5 3rd Street Bridge Upper GC6 9th Street Bridge New York branches or straits, and cover a large GC3 ark Bay Bay GC4 and diverse geographic expanse. GC5 New N6 GC6 K1 G2 Most of the Inner Harbor Area, K2 N7 K3 excluding the Kills, is classified by BROOKLYN NYSDEC as I, for uses such as fishing

Jamaica or boating. Most of the area in the STATEN ISLAND Bay Kills is classified for fish survival only (SD), with the exception of the far K4 Lower New York southern reach of Arthur Kill, which Bay is designated as Class I. The Hudson Open Water Stations River, from North of Spuyten Duyvil Tributary Stations to Westchester County, is designated K5 Raritan Bay Water Classi cation for bathing (SB). SD: Fish Survival Miles I: Fishing and Boating 0 1.5 3 6 SB: Bathing

BACTERIA Water quality as estimated by fecal coliform (FC) concentrations was superior for the Inner Harbor in the summer of 2017. The regional summer geometric mean was 25 cells/100mL for fecal coliform. All 14 historical/ open-water monitoring sites complied with the monthly FC Bathing Standard of 200 cells/100mL. Past data has indicated that the Inner Harbor is prone to episodic degradation following rain events due to additional FC loadings from storm drains and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Water quality as estimated by Enterococcus concentrations was also superior for the Inner Harbor in 2017. The regional summer geometric means was 6 cells/100mL; all 14 historical/open-water monitoring sites had averages < 10 cells/100mL, which complied with the Bathing Standard of 35 cells/100mL for Enterococcus.

11 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Fecal coliform levels in the Inner Harbor have dramatically declined over the last three decades, Fecal Coliform and Enterococci Inner Harbor Area – Summer Geometric Mean with levels since 1992 well below the Bathing 10000 Standards. The averaged FC counts have declined NYS Fishing Standard for FC from levels in the mid-80s that were well in excess 1000 of the standards to the current levels well below L

m NYS Bathing Standard for FC

Bathing Standard of 200 cells/100mL. This 10 0 improvement has allowed for the opening of Inner s / 100 oun t C Harbor Waters to most recreational activities. The NYS Bathing Standard for Enterococci progress has been attributed to the cessation of 10 Fecal Coliform Top raw sewage dumping through the full build-out Enterococci Top 1 of New York City’s Wastewater Treatment Plants 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 (WWTPs), the elimination of illegal discharges into Year the water body and the reduction of CSOs. Enterococcus levels in the Inner Harbor have been monitored since 2001. The averages for the past 16 years have consistently been well below the Bathing Standard of 35 cells/100mL.

DISSOLVED OXYGEN Average summer dissolved oxygen (DO) values in the Inner Harbor were 6.54 mg/L at the surface and 6.08 mg/L in bottom waters. Every sampling station in this region except K3 had at least one summer sample that fell below the state DO bathing standard. Sites such as E2, G2, K5 and N3B had several sub-standard samples. These sites range from the Hudson River to Arthur Kill and include the East River and Gowanus Bay. The waters in this large lower region are generally well mixed. One hundred years ago sanitary engineer Kenneth Allen of the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment published his findings* based on DO sampling by the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission which began in 1909. It was known even then the “value of dissolved oxygen determinations as a measure of the digestive capacity of the water and, inversely, of their Dissolved Oxygen Inner Harbor Area – Summer Average pollution...”. Since that time, the implementation 10.00 of municipal wastewater treatment facilities beginning early in the 20th century and the 8.00

subsequent upgrading of those facilities to 6.00 NYS Bathing Standard incorporate secondary treatment have led to mg/L 4.00 notable improvements in water quality. The gradual NYS Fishing Standard

increase since 1970 in average DO levels is a 2.00 result of the important steps taken in New York Surface Water Bottom Water City after the Clean Water Act in 1972. Since 1992, 0.00 no average summer DO value has fallen below the YEAR state’s bathing standard of 5.0 mg/L.

*Allen, Kenneth. 1918. Dissolved Oxygen as an Index of the Pollution of New York Harbor. American Journal of Public Health: November 1918, Vol. 8, No. 11, pp. 838-842. 12 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report CHLOROPHYLL ‘A’ The Inner Harbor region encompasses the lower Chlorophyll 'a' and Total Suspended Solids Hudson River Estuary, the Staten Island Kills as well Inner Harbor Area – Summer Average 70 70 as the upper portion of New York Bay. As a result Chlorophyll 'a' TSS Top TSS Bottom of this spatial diversity, the physical and chemical 60 60 oceanographic conditions which affect chlorophyll 50 50 ‘a’ in the area also vary widely. A station such as 40 40 K5 located at the edge of Raritan Bay averaged 30 30 TSS (mg/L) 17.3 µg/L of chlorophyll ‘a’ during the summer. At Chlorophyl ‘a’ µg/L 20 20 the opposite edge of the region N1, a brackish water 10 10 station, averaged 5.9 µg/L of chlorophyll ‘a’. There is 0 0 also great variability during the course of the summer 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year as phytoplankton blooms intensify and diminish The 2017 summer chlorophyll ‘a’ average of 6.02 µg/L was fairly consistent with the past six years’ average. In fact, since 1986 there are few instances of great yearly variation in chlorophyll ‘a’. Massive water flow into the region from the Hudson River has been thought to be a stabilizing factor. This influx of turbulent river water also results in a high bottom water average of 33.52 mg/L total suspended solids (TSS).

SECCHI TRANSPARENCY No official water quality standards exist for the Secchi transparency. In general, high Secchi readings (depths of five feet or greater) are associated with clearer water, while low Secchi numbers (depths of three feet or less) are indicative of turbid (or light limiting) waters. In the summer of 2017, the average Secchi reading was 3.3 feet in the Inner Harbor area. The marine conditions vary substantially in this region. N1 in the turbid Hudson River averaged 2.2 ft. Secchi depth while further down the estuary in Gowanus Bay (G2) the average was 4.8 ft. Since 2010 there have been consistently lower Secchi averages in this region. One instance of a particularly high TSS average in 1996 correlated with a marked decrease In average Secchi depth. Over the long term however, there has been little variation Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids Inner Harbor Area – Summer Average in the Secchi depth averages. This is likely due to the 10 70 Secchi TSS Top TSS Bottom regular, normal flow from the Hudson River. 60 8 50

6 40

30 TSS (mg/L) Secchi Depth (ft) 4

20 2 10

0 0 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017

Year

13 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report THE UPPER EAST RIVER - WESTERN UPPER EAST RIVER – WESTERN LONG ISLAND SOUND WATER QUALITY

East River - Long Island Sound Flushing Bay Hutchinson River & E4 FB1 Flushing Bay/Creek HR1 Bartow Ave. Br. & Hutchinson River Pkwy. E6 Flushing Bay FLC1 Flushing Creek HR2 Boston Rd. Br. & Conner Ave. E7 Whitestone Bridge FLC2 Flushing Creek Mouth HR03 Conner Street Pump Station The Upper East River–Western E8 Alley Pond Creek WC1 Bruckner & Cross Bronx Exps. Long Island Sound (UER-WLIS) E10 LN1 South WC2 South Bound Hutchinson Pkwy. WC3 BUOY “10” E11 Little Neck Bay AC1 Northern Blvd. Bridge represents the northeastern portion E12 Buoy N”6” AC2 Alley Creek Outfall E13 Westchester Creek Buoy N”2” of NY Harbor, from Hell Gate in E14 Mouth Bronx River E15 Flushing Creek Mouth BR1 233rd St & Bronx Blvd. the East River, up into the Western BR3 Westchester Ave. & Bx River H3 155th Street BR5 Bronx River Mouth Long Island Sound (WLIS). The Harbor Survey Program provides coverage of this area, including the er BR1 Harlem River and the East River, iv HR2 R from to Hart Island HR03 at the NYC–Westchester County er iv boundary. This area contains 26 x R HR1

Hudson BRONX on Harbor Survey monitoring stations. Br er E12 iv Waters of this vicinity, though E10 divergent in and depth, WC2 Harlem R share similarities in pollutant H3 BR3 WC1 Long Island loadings and are targeted for Sound management efforts as part of BR5 WC3 the Long Island Sound National E13 E7 Estuary Program. E14 er E8 ast Riv Upper E About half of the Upper East River– E6 E11 Western Long Island Sound area

E4 LN1 is classified as I, for uses such as Flushing BayFB1 Open Water Stations fishing or boating, with the area east FLC2 Tributary Stations QUEENS E15 AC1 of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge FLC1 Water Classi cation AC2 designated for bathing (SB). SD: Fish Survival 0 1 2 4 I: Fishing and Boating Miles SB:BACTERIA Bathing

BACTERIA In 2017, water quality continued to be superior for the Upper East River-Western Long Island Sound (UER- WLIS). Fecal Coliform (FC) concentrations for all 11 historical/open-water monitoring sites were in compliance with their specified ‘best use’ classifications for bathing and fishing. The summer geometric mean for this region was 24 cells/100mL. Ten out of eleven historical/open-water sites had averages < 100 cells/100mL. Enterococcus concentrations were also superior for the area in 2017. The regional summer geometric mean was 4 cells/100mL. All 11 monitoring sites in the area complied with the Bathing Standard of 35 cells/100mL.

14 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Bacteria concentrations have shown a downward trend for more than 20 years in the UER-WLIS Fecal Coliform and Enterococci Upper East River – Western Long Island Sound region. The recent slight upward tick in the bacteria Summer Geometric Mean levels seems to have more to do with how superior 10000 the waters were the previous seasons than any NYS Fishing Standard for FC systematic change. 1000 L Enterococcus levels in the UER-WLIS have been m NYS Bathing Standard for FC 10 0 monitored since 2001. The averages for the past 100 nts /

o u NYS Bathing Standard for Enterococci

16 years have been consistently well below the C Bathing Standard. 10

Fecal Coliform Top Enterococci Top 1 DISSOLVED OXYGEN 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 Year Average summer surface and bottom water DO values for the UER-WLIS region exceeded the state bathing standard. However, the 2017 average here is the lowest of any of the four city regions (6.15 mg/L and 5.63 mg/L for surface and bottom waters respectively). Most of the sites included in this region had one or more samples that were below the NY state fishing standard of 4.0 mg/L. H3 in the Harlem River and E12 in western Long Island Sound had samples that fell below the bathing standard. Deep water sites such as E10 will commonly yield bottom DO values as low as 2.57 mg/L in the mid and late summer. The most important trend in this region is the improvement of bottom waters that hovered near or below the bathing standard for over 40 years. Though there was a slight decrease in values this year, there has been a consistent increase in average DO values since 2012. Surface water averages have not been below the bathing standard since 2004.

Dissolved Oxygen Upper East River – Western Long Island Sound Summer Average 10.00

8.00

6.00 NYS Bathing Standard mg/L 4.00 NYS Fishing Standard

2.00

Surface Water Bottom Water 0.00

YEAR

15 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report µ

Chlorophyll 'a' and Total Suspended Solids Upper East River – Western Long Island Sound CHLOROPHYLL ‘A’ Summer Average 70 70 Chlorophyll 'a' TSS Top TSS Bottom The stations in the UER-WLIS generally have low 60 60 ) L /

chlorophyll ‘a’ averages (<10 µg/L). Some stations g 50 50 μ (

' a '

located in the Long Island Sound bays can average g/L) 40 40 l l y h

as high as 26.79 µg/L (E12 Eastchester Bay) S ( m

p 30 30 o T S r

with single samples as high as 92.8 µg/L. E11 in o l 20 20 h

Littleneck Bay had the next highest average of C 10 10 17.82 µg/L with samples as high as 53.4 µg/L. The 0 0 regional average in this area was a more modest 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 9.66 µg/L. Year Since 2002, the summer regional chlorophyll ‘a’ average has been below 10 µg/L with little variation. Past and ongoing upgrades to nitrogen removal processes in each of the four Upper East River wastewater treatment plants have possibly resulted in lower chlorophyll ‘a’ averages.

SECCHI TRANSPARENCY In the summer of 2017, the average Secchi transparency in the UER-WLIS was 3.5 ft. All of the open water historical sites in this region averaged between 3 and 4 feet except H3 (average Secchi of 2.6 ft.). H3 is located in the Harlem River and depending on receives flow from the turbid Hudson River. Average Secchi depths have not varied substantially since 2009. One noticeable dip in the average in 1996 coincided with a record high average in surface and bottom water total suspended solids and chlorophyll ‘a’ concentration (see figures).

Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids Upper East River – Western Long Island Sound Summer Average 10 70 Secchi TSS Top TSS Bottom 60 8 ) t f

( 50

h t

p 6 40 e D

i

h 30 c 4 TSS (mg/L) c e

S 20 2 10

0 0 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year

16 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report JAMAICA BAY JAMAICA BAY WATER QUALITY

Jamaica Bay Tributaries Jamaica Bay Interior Jamaica Bay is located at the south- J1 BB2 Head of J14 West of Broad Channel J2 Mill Basin Inlet BB4 Mouth of Bergen Basin J15 Black Wall Channel western end of Long Island. This J3 Canarsie Pier F1 Fresh Creek Outfall J16 Horse Channel J5 Railroad Trestle F5 Mouth of Fresh Creek J18 Pumpkin Patch Channel urban, estuarine embayment and J7 Bergen Basin GHC Grass Hassock Channel national park consists primarily of tidal J8 Spring Creek HC1 Hendrix Creek Head J9A Fresh Creek Bouy No. C21 HC2 Hendrix Creek by 26th Ward WTP wetlands, upland areas and open- J10 Paerdegat Basin HC3 Hendrix Creek under Belt Pkwy J11 Sheepshead Bay Mouth HOB Head of Bay waters. The Bay and its drainage J12 Grassy Bay PB2 Midway in Paerdegat Basin JA1 Jamaica WWTP Outfall PB3 Mouth of Paerdegat Basin area are almost entirely within the N9A Coney Island Outfall SP1 Spring Creek Under Belt Pkwy Overpass SP2 Spring Creek boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, TB1 Thurston Basin TB2 Thurston Basin Mouth except for a small area at the eastern

Hewtr Shell Bank Basin Bergen end that is in Nassau County. Jamaica Basin Spring Cr ee Basin Bay joins the New York Harbor to the BB2 QUEENS HC1 SP1 BB4 Hendrix Cr HC2 eek west via the Rockaway Inlet at the

F HC3 BROOKLYN resh Cr tip of Breezy Point and includes the F1 J7 JA1 Thurston eek SP2 J8 Basin TB1 eek F5 TB2 Rockaway Peninsula, which forms HOB J12 PB2 J9A the southern limit of the Bay and Paer degat BasinPB3 J3 E J18 separates it from the Atlantic Ocean. ast M J10 ill Basin ill J16 GHC This estuarine water body, consisting M J14 Basin J2 J15 of approximately 20 square miles of G M Shell Bank erritsen Cr ill Cr J5 open-water, is covered by 31 Harbor Cr eek eek eek Jamaica Survey monitoring stations. Bay Open waters of Jamaica Bay are Sheepshead Bay J11 J1 classified for bathing or other N9A Jamaica Bay Interior Rockaway Open Water Stations recreational use (SB). Areas within Inlet Tributary Stations the Bay’s tributaries and dead-end

Water Classi cation are prone to reduced water Miles I: Fishing and Boating quality due to direct 0 1 2 4 SB: Bathing and poor flushing. These areas are designated for secondary contact use (I), such as fishing or boating.

BACTERIA In 2017, water quality was superior for Jamaica Bay with summer bacterial geometric means below 200 cells/100mL, the Bathing Standard for all 12 historical/open-water stations. The regional summer geometric mean for fecal coliform was 14 cells/100mL. Under wet weather conditions, the Bay experiences localized degradation. At these times, spikes in FC may temporarily exceed the Bathing Standard of 200 cells/100mL for the entire northern portion of the Bay. This decrease in water quality is limited to the Bay proper, as waters are not typically affected by wet weather events. Enterococcus concentrations were also superior for Jamaica Bay in 2017. The regional summer geometric mean was 2 cells/100mL; all 12 monitoring sites complied with the Bathing Standard of 35 cells/100mL.

17 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Summer geometric mean bacterial levels in Jamaica Bay as a whole have been below Fecal Coliform and Enterococci standards for more than 30 years. Jamaica Bay – Summer Geometric Mean 10000 The DEP continues to improve its sewage system. NYS Fishing Standard for FC The operation of CSO storage tanks continues 1000

in two Jamaica Bay tributaries. Additionally, DEP L skimmer vessels work to control floatable debris NYS Bathing Standard for FC 100 m 100

in Jamaica Bay, as part of the “Boom and Skim” nts / o u

program. C NYS Bathing Standard for Enterococci 10

Fecal Coliform Top Enterococci Top DISSOLVED OXYGEN 1 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 Of all the city’s regions, Jamaica Bay had the Year highest surface water DO summer average (7.37 mg/L). Stations J11, J2, J3, J5, J7, J8, J9A, J12 and JA1 all had several samples that were below the state bathing DO standard (5.0 mg/L). Stations J1 and N9A did not have any samples all summer below that standard. Several sites on the eastern side of the bay (J8, J12 and JA1) had several samples below 4.0 mg/L. The stations near the mouth of the bay generally tend to have better DO values and the stations in the northern and eastern sections of the bay have lower values. After decades of year to year variations in average summer DO values, it appears there currently is a small period of stability. From 2013 to 2017, both surface and bottom water averages have varied very little. Longer term perspective generally shows a slight increase in DO averages over time since the early 1970’s.

Dissolved Oxygen Jamaica Bay – Summer Average

10.00

8.00

) 6.00 L / g

m NYS Bathing Standard ( 4.00 NYS Fishing Standard

2.00

Surface Water Bottom Water 0.00

YEAR

18 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report CHLOROPHYLL ‘A’ Jamaica Bay typically has the highest chlorophyll ‘a’ averages of all the city’s marine waters. This year was Chlorophyll 'a' and Total Suspended Solids Jamaica Bay – Summer Average no exception, with an average of 24.62 µg/L. Only 70 70 Chlorophyll 'a' TSS Top TSS Bottom one open water historical station in Jamaica Bay 60 60 ) L /

(N9A) averaged less than 15 µg/L in 2017. Stations g 50 50 μ (

' a ' in the northeastern portion of the Bay (J5, J7, J8, g/L) 40 40 l l y h

J12 and JA1) all averaged over 25 µg/L with J12 S ( m

p 30 30 o T S r

in Grassy Bay having the highest average of 41.92 o l 20 20 h

µg/L. The stations located at the mouths of various C 10 10 tributaries in the bay are often eutrophic in summer 0 0 months. For example, J7 at the mouth of Bergen 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Basin had a summer average of 37.61 µg/L. Slow Year turnover of water within the bay and the nutrient-rich tributaries feeding it allow for the development of large standing phytoplankton populations. Average chlorophyll ‘a’ concentrations have fluctuated greatly over the past 30 years, particularly in the mid 90s. Since the summer average of 53.91 µg/L in 2001, the concentrations have decreased gradually. The completed carbon addition facility (using carbon for Biological Nitrogen Removal [BNR]) at the 26th Ward Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in 2012 was implemented in part to fulfill a commitment to reducing nitrogen discharges into Jamaica Bay by more than 50% over 10 years. In addition to BNR upgrades to 26th Ward, BNR improvements are progressing at the Jamaica WWTP, Coney Island WWTP and Rockaway WWTP in Queens. All BNR improvements are expected to be completed by 2020.

SECCHI TRANSPARENCY The 2017 average summer Secchi depth of 3.8 ft. represented a slight increase from the prior year. All of the open water historical sites in Jamaica Bay averaged between 3 and 4 feet except N9A (Secchi depth of 4.4 ft.). This site is located near the outfall of the Coney Island WWTP. Often, low individual Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids Secchi readings are paired with particularly high Jamaica Bay – Summer Average 10 70 chlorophyll ‘a’ concentrations representative of Secchi TSS Top TSS Bottom 60 a phytoplankton bloom. For example at J7, two 8 ) t f

( 50

instances of Secchi depths of 1.0 ft. were measured h t

p 6 40 e D when corresponding chlorophyll ‘a’ samples were (mg/L)

i

h 30 132 µg/L and 149 µg/L. c 4 TSS c e

S 20 After 1993, average Secchi depths in Jamaica Bay 2 have remained fairly stable. Throughout this relatively 10 0 0 stable period, average chlorophyll ‘a’ concentrations 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 and total suspended solids have varied substantially. Year

19 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report LOWER NEW YORK BAY - RARITAN BAY LOWER NEW YORK BAY – RARITAN BAY WATER QUALITY

The Lower NY Bay–Raritan Bay Lower New York Bay (LNYB-RB) vicinity represents K5A K6 Orchard Light the most oceanic portion of the N8 Verrazano Narrows er iv AN Harbor Survey Program. This area T N9 Steeplechase Pier T of 100 square miles is represented N16 Rockaway Point ANHA by eight Harbor Survey monitoring Hudson R M stations and is composed mostly CIC2 Coney Is Creek of open shallow waters, partially CIC3 Coney Is Creek Mouth confined by Brooklyn’s Coney GB1 Gravesend Bay ark Bay New Island to the north, Staten Upper Island to the north- west, and New York Bay New Jersey’s Middlesex and Monmouth counties and Sandy ull Kill Van K BROOKLYN Hook to the south. The remainder of its eastern boundary is open to Rockaway Inlet and the greater GB1 N8 Atlantic Ocean.

CIC2 STATEN ISLAND Lower This area of 100 square miles CIC3 New York is represented by eight Harbor Bay N9 ill Survey monitoring stations and ur K rth A has mostly open shallow waters. Two wastewater treatment plants, N16 Oakwood Beach and Owls Head, K6 directly discharge into Lower New ATLANTIC OCEAN York Bay and Raritan Bay, but the Raritan Bay region’s interconnection with other K5A parts of the harbor and to the Open Water Stations Tributary Stations open water of the Atlantic Ocean also influence its water quality. Water Classi cation I: Fishing and Boating SB: Bathing Miles S 0 1 2 4 6 BACTERIA

BACTERIA In 2017, water quality as estimated by fecal coliform (FC) had the lowest values in the Lower New York Bay- Raritan Bay (LNYB-RB) as compared to other waterbodies around New York City. Summer geometric mean for FC numbers show waters of the LNYB-RB meet and surpass NYS Standard of 200 cells/100mL for this area. All five historical/open-water stations had summer geometric means <= 13 cells/100mL. Their monthly geometric mean all met standards. Enterococcus concentrations were also superior for the Lower New York Bay-Raritan Bay in 2017. The regional summer geometric mean was 2 cells/100mL; all five monitoring sites complied with the Bathing Standard of 35 cells/100mL.

20 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Year Fecal coliform (FC) concentrations for LNYB-RB show significant decline from the mid-1980s to the Fecal Coliform and Enterococci Lower New York Bay – Raritan Bay present time. Summer Geometric Mean 10000 These improvements have allowed for the opening of all NYC public beaches since 1992 and the lifting NYS Fishing Standard for FC 1000 of wet weather swimming advisories. L

m NYS Bathing Standard for FC

Enterococcus levels in the LNYB-RB have been 10 0 100

nts / NYS Bathing Standard for Enterococci

consistently well below the Bathing Standard. o u C 10

Fecal Coliform Top DISSOLVED OXYGEN Enterococci Top 1 Average dissolved oxygen values in the LNYB-RB 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 are relatively high when compared to other regions Year (7.17 mg/L and 6.88 mg/l for the surface and bottom water respectively), partly due to the open water sites here that are well mixed. The only site with surface samples below the state’s bathing standard was K5A in Raritan Bay occurring, as is typical, in late summer when the water temperatures are high. Since 1970, most of the improvement in the LNYB-RB area is attributed to decreased waste loading into the Arthur Kill and the Raritan River. It wasn’t until 1979 when the upgrading of secondary treatment at most of the city’s wastewater treatment plants (including Oakwood Beach and Port Richmond) was completed. The Owls Head Plant was upgraded later. These upgrades are reflected in the steady rise in average summer DO values after this time period.

Dissolved Oxygen Lower New York Bay – Raritan Bay Summer Average 10.00

8.00

6.00 ) NYS Bathing Standard L /

g NYS Fishing Standard m

( 4.00

2.00

Surface Water Bottom Water 0.00

YEAR

21 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report CHLOROPHYLL ‘A’

This large region is represented by five open water Chlorophyll 'a' and Total Suspended Solids Lower New York Bay – Raritan Bay historical survey stations. The three stations in the Summer Average 70 70 eastern side of the region (Lower Bay) typically Chlorophyll 'a' TSS Top TSS Bottom have low average chlorophyll ‘a’ concentrations (all 60 60 L)

g / 50 50

< 12 µg/L). These waters are among the clearest in μ (

' a ' g/L)

40 40

the city and are represented by sampling stations l l y h S ( m

at the Verrazano Narrows (N8), Coney Island p 30 30 o T S r o Beach (N9) and Rockaway Inlet (N16). Conversely, l 20 20 h C the Raritan Bay stations on the southeast shore of 10 10

Staten Island have higher averages of 16.10 µg/L 0 0 (K5A) and 21.23 µg/L (K6).. 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year Raritan Bay appears to have a natural configuration ideal for the promotion of phytoplankton blooms not only in the summer, but in the winter as well. The relatively shallow area’s main source of fresh water is the Raritan River, an endangered waterway. Flushing from the Hudson River is inhibited by surrounding shoals, such as Old Orchard Shoal. Tidal exchange with oceanic waters does occur, but is inhibited somewhat by . Given the propensity for algae blooms in Raritan Bay, this region as a whole still has a history of having fairly low summer chlorophyll ‘a’ averages. In fact, over the past 30 years, all but three years (1995, 1997 and 1998) had averages below 20 µg/L (see figure). In 2017, the chlorophyll ‘a’ average was 12.91 µg/L.

SECCHI TRANSPARENCY The 2017 average summer Secchi depth in the LNYB-RB region was 4.2 ft., a decrease from last year’s average of 4.7 ft. The five sites in this region mirror the layout described in the Chlorophyll ‘a’ section above. Sites on the eastern side of the region that have low chlorophyll ‘a’ concentrations also have high average Secchi depths (4.6 ft. for N9 and 5.4 ft. for N16). N16 is an open water site with Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids Lower New York Bay – Raritan Bay clear ocean water. Raritan Bay stations K6 and K5A Summer Average 10 70 on the other hand, had average Secchi depths of Secchi TSS Top TSS Bottom 3.7 and 3.6 ft. respectively. 60 8 ) t

f 50 ( Though variable on a year to year basis, this region h t 6 p 40 g/L) historically has the highest Secchi depth averages e D

i S ( m

h 30

in the city. One noticeable dip in the Secchi depth c 4 T S c e

average occurred in the summer of 1995 and was S 20 2 associated with the region’s highest chlorophyll ‘a’ 10

average and a high TSS average. 0 0 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year

22 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report NITROGEN

itrogen is the most common element in the additional nitrogen control facilities (estimates do Earth’s atmosphere. It is a major building not include costs for future chemical usage during N block of plant and animal proteins, as well operations). as a key nutrient for all types of life. Because some NYC DEP has initiated a comprehensive program to nitrogen-based molecules have nutrient properties, reduce nitrogen discharges to comply with maximum they are commonly used as fertilizers. However, monthly and twelve month rolling average limits excess nitrogen in runoff and wastewater effluent for Total Nitrogen, and to comply with the special can promote the growth of harmful algae and reduce conditions anticipated under the revised State levels of dissolved oxygen, limiting the ability of the Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) waterbody to sustain a healthy ecosystem. Permit. The ability to meet these goals is especially Nitrogen is not a pathogen and poses no threat to challenging at the WWTPs that perform centralized human health, so the wastewater treatment plants sludge dewatering operations. The nitrogen load, were not originally designed to remove it from effluent. mostly in the form of ammonium, contributed from In the 1980s, the City and environmental groups grew the centrate produced during sludge dewatering can concerned about the impact of nitrogen on New York account for as much as 30% of the total nitrogen load Harbor, especially as the total nitrogen discharged on the secondary treatment system at the WPCP. was expected to increase due to nationwide changes The Upper and Lower East River final combined in sludge handling laws. In the early 1990s, the City total nitrogen limit is 12-month rolling average limit developed a Nitrogen Control Action Plan to reduce of 44,325 lbs/day. This became effective January the total nitrogen discharge into two ecologically 1, 2017. And the current limit for Jamaica Bay as of sensitive waterbodies, the Upper East River and August 1, 2017 is a 12-month rolling average of 31,118 Jamaica Bay. Since 2002, the City has invested $1.2 lbs/day Total Nitrogen. DEP is also meeting this limit. billion in upgrades to wastewater treatment plants to After almost 30 years of fluctuating ammonia levels remove nitrogen from plant effluent and has allocated in Jamaica Bay, there have been three consecutive $97 million over the next decade to construct years of values below 0.25 mg/L. Nitrate/nitrite levels

23 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report here have also remained stable and below 0.20 construction projects at plants in this region (including mg/L since the commencement of the 26th Ward Hunt’s Point and Ward’s island) were completed biological nitrogen reduction program. The inner between 2010 and 2014. Lower NY Bay nitrogen harbor currently has the highest nitrogen levels of the levels have remained relatively low and stable over four regions. With one exception, summer means of the past 30 years. The region has the lowest mean ammonia and nitrate/nitrate have remained greater ammonia concentration in 2017 (0.20 mg/L). than 0.30 mg/L. Upper East River nitrogen levels have dipped slightly since 2012. Several nitrogen removal

Inner Harbor UER-WLIS 0.8 0.8 NO32 NH3-N NO32 NH3-N 0.7 0.7

0.6 0.6

0.5 0.5 N (mg/L)N N (mg/L) - - 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1 NO3 + NO2 & NH3 & NO2 + NO3 NO3 + NO2 & NH3 & NO2 + NO3 0.0 0.0 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year Year

Lower NY Bay Jamaica Bay 0.8 0.8 NO32 NH3-N NO32 NH3-N 0.7 0.7

0.6 0.6

0.5 0.5 N (mg/L) N (mg/L) - - 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1 NO3 + NO2 & NH3 NO2NO3 & + NO3 + NO2 & NH3 NO2& NO3+ 0.0 0.0 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Year Year

24 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report HARBOR-WIDE IMPROVEMENTS

ater quality conditions in 2017 have remained Harbor Survey has begun its integration with the stable or have improved slightly. Harbor- LTCPs. There were a total of 86 sites included in the W wide summer (May–Oct) average Dissolved survey for 2017. Oxygen (DO) for both surface and bottom waters remained at record highs, 6.6 mg/L and 6.2 mg/L, respectively. Fecal Coliform (FC) and Enterococci summer geometric means were well below the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Standards for bathing and all recreational use (200 cells/100mL for FC and 35 cells/100 mL for Entero). Harbor - Wide Dissolved Oxygen Chlorophyll ‘a’, Secchi Depth and Total Suspended 10.0 Solids in the harbor have remained stable with slight DO Surface DO Bottom fluctuations. 8.0 During the past half-century, summer average dissolved 6.0 Bathing Class Standard oxygen (DO) in the 40 historical/open-water sites of 4.0 Fishing Class Stadard the New York City harbor have increased from less 2.0 than 5.0 to greater than 6.5 mg/L for surface waters (mg/L) Oxygen Dissolved and from less than 4.0 to greater than 6.0 mg/L for 0.0 bottom waters. Average DO levels remained above the Year NYSDEC Bathing Standard of 5.0 mg/L for the past 26 years. The harbor-wide summer geometric means for FC count has decreased and remained below the levels Harbor - Wide Bacteria and within compliance with the NYSDEC Bathing 10000

Standard for the past three decades. All historical/ ) FC Fishing Standard open-water stations had average FC counts well below 1000

FC Bathing Standard the Bathing Standard in 2017. Most high FC counts with Cells/100mL high geometric means were found in tributaries located 100 Entero Bathing Standard at Coney Island Creek (CIC2), Flushing Creek (FLC1) 10 and Alley Creek CSO outfall (AC2). Short-term spikes Fecal Coliform Bacterial Counts ( Counts Bacterial do occur after rain events due to combined sewer Enterococci 1 overflow (CSO) discharges. Over the last 17 years, harbor-wide Enterococcus Year summer geometric means have been relatively stable, with spikes similar in size and frequency to the fecal Harbor - Wide coliform levels. High summer average Enterotocci were Chlorophyll A, Secchi found at Alley Creek CSO outfall (AC2), Alley Creek And Total Suspended Solids 60 7.0 mouth (AC1), and Bronx River (BR1). 55 Chl A Surface 50 TSS Surface 6.0 45 TSS Bottom Secchi Depth 5.0 The NYC DEP’s Long Term Control Plans (LTCP) are 40 ongoing efforts to begin addressing the effects of CSOs 35 4.0 30 and stormwater runoff. In the summer of 2017, the 25 3.0

20 Secchi Depth(ft)

TSS (mg/L) TSS 2.0 harbor-wide chlorophyll ‘a’ average drop down to 10.1 15

µg/L from 11.5 µg/L in the past three years; decreased (ug/L) A Chlorophyll 10 1.0 5 Secchi depth correlated with both the surface and 0 0.0 bottom Total Suspended Solids’ increasing. The Year

25 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report HARBOR-WIDE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS OVER FOUR TIME PERIODS SUMMER GEOMETRIC MEANS FOR FECAL COLIFORM IN SURFACE WATERS

1985 1992 WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX BRONX

N N A A T T T T A A H H N N A A M M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN

STATEN STATEN ISLAND ISLAND

2017

WESTCHESTER 1999 2017 COUNTY WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

BRONX N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX N BRONX NEW A T T JERSEY A H N A M N N A T A T T T A A H H N N A QUEENS A M M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN BROOKLYN

STATEN ISLAND STATEN STATEN ISLAND ISLAND

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Fecal Coliform Bacteria < 100 count/ 100 mL ecal Coliorm Bacteria 100 - 200 cont 201 - 2, 0- 00 - > 2,000

NYS Best-Use Classifications: 200 FC/100 mL=SB (Bathing); 2000 FC/100 mL=I (Fishing). NYC DOH requirements preclude bathing near sewer outfalls and where rainfall may substantially increase coliform levels.

26 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report HARBOR-WIDE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS OVER FOUR TIME PERIODS SUMMER AVERAGES FOR DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN BOTTOM WATERS

1985 1992 WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX BRONX

N N A A T T T T A A H H N N A A M M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN

STATEN STATEN ISLAND ISLAND

2017

WESTCHESTER 1999 2017 COUNTY WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

BRONX N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX BRONX N NEW A T T JERSEY A H N A N M N A T A T T T A A H H N N A A M M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN

STATEN STATEN ISLANDSTATEN ISLAND ISLAND

Dissolved Oxygen NJriv_mod < 3.0 mg/L issoled yen 3.0 - 3.9 4.0 - 4.9 - - >= 5.0

NYS Best-Use Classifications: DO > 5 mg/L=SB (Bathing); DO > 4 mg/L=I (Fishing); DO > 3 mg/L=SD (Fish Survival)

27 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report HARBOR-WIDE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS OVER FOUR TIME PERIODS SUMMER AVERAGES FOR CHLOROPHYLL ‘A’ IN SURFACE WATERS

1986 1992 WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX BRONX

N N A A T T T T A A H H N N A A M M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BROOKLYN

STATEN STATEN ISLAND ISLAND

2017

WESTCHESTER 1999 2017 COUNTY WESTCHESTER WESTCHESTER COUNTY COUNTY

BRONX N E W N E W J E R S E Y J E R S E Y BRONX BRONX

N NEW A T T JERSEY A H N N A N A M T A T T T A A H H N N A A M QUEENS M

QUEENS QUEENS

BROOKLYN BRBOORKOLYONKLYN

STATEN STATEN ISLANDSTATEN ISLAND ISLAND

ATCLAhNlToICro OpChEAyNll a < 10.0 ug/L Clor1op0.0yl l- a19.9 20. 0- - 2 9.9 - 30. 0- - 3 9.9 40. 0- - 4 9.9 50.0 - 59.9

Chlorophyll ‘a’ > 20 µg/L = Eutrophic conditions

28 2017 New York Harbor Water Quality Report Visit DEPs website at nyc.gov/dep and follow NYCWATER on Facebook and

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