New York City’s

Wastewater Treatment System

Cleaning the Water We Use • Protecting the Environment We Live In

New York City Department of Environmental Protection

Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor Emily Lloyd, Commissioner

 List of Acronyms

NYCDEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York City Department of Environmental Protection

NYSDEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
NYCDOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York City Department of Sanitation
USEPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . United States Environmental Protection Agency
NYPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Power Authority
NYCSWCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York City Soil and Water Conservation District
ALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Littoral Society
WPCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Water Pollution Control Plant
NYOFCo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York Organic Fertilizer Company
IPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Industrial Pretreatment Program
PERC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perchloroethylene
CSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Combined Sewer Overflow
EBPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enhanced Beach Protection Program
MGD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Million Gallons per Day
CWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clean Water Act
PCB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Polychlorinated Biphenols
PAHs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons
BOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biochemical Oxygen Demand
TSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Suspended Solids
DO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dissolved Oxygen
BNR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biological Nutrient Removal

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 1

 Table of Contents

How Water Gets to Us¬ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

History of New York City Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Wastewater Treatment – Past and Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Nitrogen Control Applied Research Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Wastewater Treatment Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9

Preliminary Treatment
Primary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Disinfection
Sludge Treatment
Thickening
Digestion
Sludge Dewatering

Beneficial Use of Biosolids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

How Biosolids Are Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Land Application
Composting
Alkaline Treatment
Heat Drying

How New York City Protects Its Water Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Testing New York City Waterways

Environmental Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Toxic Substances

Pollution Control Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-16

Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP)
Persistent Pollutant Track-down Program
Perchloroethylene Program (PERC)
Corrosion Control Program

2 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Pollution Control Programs Continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-16
Pollution Prevention Program
Dry Weather Discharges
Grease
Pumping Station Telemetry
Combined Sewer Overflows
Floating Debris
Water Quality Monitoring
Regulatory Telemetry System / Enhanced Beach Protection Program
Nutrients
Water Waste

Map of New York Harbor and Historical Sampling Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Diagram of Treatment Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

How You Can Make a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

Conserve Water
Keep Hazardous Substance out of the Sewer System
Don’t Litter
Use Mass Transportation
Dispose of Household Grease Properly
Volunteer for Shoreline Cleanup and Survey Programs
Report Dry Weather Discharges

Map of New York City Plant Locations and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

New York City Wastewater Treatment Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-24

DEP Sludge Vessels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-30

Bureau of Wastewater Treatment Organizational Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

How to Get in Touch with DEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 3

 History of New York City Water

Where does New York City’s water Where does used water go?
come from? Used water goes into New York City’s extensive
Each day New York City delivers about 1.3 billion gallons wastewater treatment system. This amazing network
of safe drinking water to over 8 million City residents and system that cleans our wastewater consists of: over
another 1 million consumers who live in Westchester, 6,000 miles of sewer pipes; 135,000 sewer catch basins;
Putnam, Ulster and Orange Counties north of the City. over 494 permitted outfalls for the discharge of combined
The source of New York City’s drinking water is supplied sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater; 93 wastewater
by a network of 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes in pumping stations that transport it to 14 wastewater
a 1,972 square-mile watershed that extends 125 miles treatment plants located throughout the five boroughs.
north and west of New York City.
The New York City Department of Environmental
Between the water supply and wastewater treatment Protection (DEP), Bureau of Wastewater Treatment
systems are millions of New Yorkers and visitors to the (BWT) is responsible for the operation and maintenance
City and an elaborate network of sewers and water mains. of all facilities related to the treatment of sewage. The
Each person can help these systems run better by Bureau of Wastewater Treatment has 1,900 employees, an
conserving water, disposing of garbage and household annual operating budget of $262 million, and an annual
chemicals properly and being concerned about water capital budget of $114 million. With these resources,
quality in the City’s surrounding waters. the 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater discharged by eight
million residents and workers in New York City each and
every day is processed at the treatment plants. After the
treatment process is completed, the plants release high-
quality, treated wastewater, called effluent, into the
waterways surrounding New York City.

4 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 Ashokan Reservoir

Wastewater Treatment Past and Present

efore the City’s first upstate reservoir system was to keep the beaches clean and to protect the health
B was developed in 1842, New Yorkers depended
on well water – and enterprising street vendors –
of beach goers rather than maintaining water quality.
As the population grew to 3.5 million, these plants
for their drinking water. became overburdened. When the link was made between
waterborne bacteria and diseases in humans, it was
The Dutch, who first settled on the lower tip of
recognized that a master plan was needed to study and
Manhattan, got their water from ponds, streams and
protect the surrounding waterways. As a result, in 1904,
shallow wells. As the population multiplied, the demand
the Metropolitan Sewerage commission was created. The
for fresh water grew. With no system for disposing of
commission undertook harbor surveys and water quality
sewage and garbage, human and animal waste polluted
analysis. It performed studies of the tides, studied the
the water supply, causing frequent epidemics of contagious
harbor’s natural flushing action, and developed a City
waterborne diseases, such as yellow fever and cholera. It
Master Plan for wastewater treatment plants. The plan
soon became abundantly clear that something had to be
included construction of treatment plants to meet the
done to rid NYC streets of human and animal waste
needs of the growing population and identify the
and trash.
optimum locations for future sites.
Wastewater treatment began in New York City in the late
Between 1935 and 1945 three new plants were
1890s and early 1900s at two locations in Brooklyn and
constructed – Wards Island in Manhattan and Bowery
one in Queens. These became the 26th Ward, the Coney
Bay and Tallman Island in Queens. The Wards Island
Island Water Pollution Control plants (WPCP) in
plant was built to handle flows from the east side of
Brooklyn and the Jamaica WPCP in Queens. Because
Manhattan and the lower part of the Bronx. This plant,
of the tremendous use of the City public beaches, these
which came on line in 1936, was the first to use the
three areas were considered a high priority. Wastewater
conventional activated sludge concept to treat sewage.
treatment consisted of chemical coagulation for settling
Bowery Bay and Tallman Island also used activated
as well as seasonal disinfection with chlorine. The impetus

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 5

sludge. As the population approached 7.5 million, the facility, connected to the 26th Ward plant consisting of a
Coney Island, 26th Ward and Jamaica plants were 10 million gallon holding tank for storm water.)
upgraded. These six plants brought the citywide capacity
By 1968, 12 wastewater treatment plants were operating
for treatment to 497 million gallons per day (mgd).
in the area of New York City. They treated over one
Between 1945 and 1965, five new plants were built to
billion gallons a day and removed an average of 65 percent
meet the needs of the continually expanding population,
of pollutants from New York City wastewater. In 1972,
which was now nearing eight million. These were Hunts
the federal government passed the Clean Water Act
Point in the Bronx, Oakwood Beach and Port Richmond
(CWA). It dictated minimum standards for wastewater
in Staten Island, and the Rockaway and Owls Head plants
treatment plants throughout the country. That meant that
in Brooklyn. During this period, the older Bowery Bay,
plants had to be upgraded to secondary treatment, which
Coney Island and Tallman Island plants underwent
removed up to 85 percent of pollutants. The CWA made
upgrades. These upgrades included the newly invented
people realize the importance of protecting the environ-
step-aeration process where primary effluent is added
ment. Upgrades were performed at eight plants, bringing
incrementally into the aeration tanks thereby reducing the
the citywide capacity to 1,390mgd. By 1979, nine of the
detention times and allowing for a more flexible and
city’s plants had been upgraded to secondary treatment.
accommodating process. With the addition of these five,
there were eleven sewage treatment plants in the City and Between 1979 and 1995, the Coney Island and Owls
the citywide capacity for sewage treatment increased from Head plants were upgraded to full secondary treatment.
497mgd to 1,037mgd. Also during this time, two more treatment plants were
completed, the Red Hook plant in Brooklyn and the
Between 1965 and 1979, the Newtown Creek wastewater
North River plant, which was positioned on a platform
treatment plant was built in Brooklyn. It was designed to
in the Hudson River to treat flows from the west side of
treat 310mgd and was built on a relatively small footprint
Manhattan. This brought the total number of wastewater
of 30 acres. Its design lacked primary tanks and, as a
treatment plants to 14. With their completion, virtually
result, wastewater traveled from the grit chamber to the
all raw sewage generated in New York City was being
aeration tanks to the final tanks without intermediate
captured and treated. Today, the City’s wastewater
channels, thereby conserving space and minimizing
treatment plants have the capacity to treat dry weather
pumping requirements. The Spring Creek auxiliary plant
flows of 1,805 millions gallons daily.
was also built. (A pilot combined sewer overflow (CSO)

Nitrogen Control Applied Research Program

PO-55 Physical-Chemical Building

PO-55 BNR Building

Applied Research Facilities Interior of Applied Research Facilities View of Centrate Tank at 26th Ward WPCP

6 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 Wastewater Treatment Process
very day, wastewater goes down toilets and drains in Preliminary treatment
E homes, schools, businesses and factories and then
flows into New York City’s sewer system. Runoff from
Several stories underground, wastewater flows into the
plants from sewers connected to New York City’s homes
rain and melting snow, street and sidewalk washing, and
and businesses. The incoming wastewater, called influent,
other outdoor activities flows into catchbasins in the
passes through screens consisting of upright bars, spaced
streets and from there into the sewers. In some New York
one to three inches apart. These bars remove large pieces
City neighborhoods, runoff from the streets is carried by
of trash including rags, sticks, newspaper, soft drink cans,
separate storm sewers directly to local streams, rivers and
bottles, plastic cups and other similar items. This protects
bays. In most areas of the City, sanitary and industrial
the main sewage pumps and other equipment. The
wastewater, rainwater and street runoff are collected in
garbage is transported to landfills. The main sewage
the same sewers and then conveyed together to the City’s
pumps then lift the wastewater from the screening
treatment plants. This is known as a combined sewer
chamber to the surface level of the plant.
system. Sometimes, during heavy rains or snow, combined
sewers fill to capacity and are unable to carry the com-
bined sanitary and storm sewage to the plants. When Primary treatment
this occurs the mix of excess storm water and untreated Next, the wastewater enters primary settling tanks, also
sewage flows directly into the City’s waterways. This is called sedimentation tanks, for one to two hours. The flow
called combined sewer overflow (CSO). Approximately of the water is slowed, allowing heavier solids to settle to
70 percent of the City sewers are combined. the bottom of the tank and the lighter materials to float.
Wastewater treatment plants, also called sewage treatment At the end of the process, the floatable trash, such as
plants or water pollution control plants, remove most grease and small plastic material, rises and is skimmed
pollutants from wastewater before it is released to local from the top of the tanks surface.
waterways. At the plants, physical and biological processes
closely duplicate how wetlands, rivers, streams and lakes
naturally purify water. Treatment at these plants is quick,
taking only about seven hours to remove most of the
pollutants from the wastewater. In the natural environ-
ment this process could take many weeks and nature
alone cannot handle the volume of wastewater that
New York City produces.
At the City’s wastewater treatment plants, wastewater
undergoes five major processes: preliminary treatment,
primary treatment, secondary treatment, disinfection
and finally, sludge treatment. Primary and secondary
treatments remove about 85% to 95% of pollutants from
the wastewater before the treated wastewater is disinfected
and discharged into local waterways. Sludge, the by- Heavy solids – everything that has sunk – is then scraped off
product of the treatment process, is digested for stabi- the bottom.
lization and is then dewatered for easier handling. The
resulting material, known as biosolids, is then applied to
land to improve vegetation or processed further as The settled solids, called primary sludge, are then pumped
compost or fertilizer. (See illustration – “Diagram of through cyclone degritters – devices that use centrifugal
Treatment Process” on page 16-17.) force to separate out sand, grit (such as coffee grinds) and
gravel. This grit is removed, washed and taken to landfills.

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 7

The degritted primary sludge is pumped to the plant’s Sludge treatment
sludge handling facilities for further processing. The
The following are typical stages of the sludge treatment
partially treated wastewater from the primary setting
process.
tanks then flows to the secondary treatment system.
Thickening
Secondary treatment
The sludge produced by primary and secondary treatment
Secondary treatment is called the activated sludge process. is approximately 99% water and must be concentrated to
This is because air and “seed” sludge from the plant treat- enable its further processing. Thickening tanks allow the
ment process are added to the wastewater to break it down sludge to collect, settle and separate from the water for up
further. Air pumped into large aeration tanks mixes the to 24 hours. The water is then sent back to the head of
wastewater and sludge that stimulates the growth of the plant or to the aeration tanks for additional treatment.
oxygen-using bacteria and other tiny organisms that are
naturally present in the sewage. These beneficial micro-
organisms consume most of the remaining organic
materials that are polluting the water and this produces
heavier particles that will settle later in the treatment
process. Wastewater passes through these bubbling tanks
in three to six hours.
The aerated wastewater then flows to the final settling
tanks which are similar to the primary settling tanks. Here
the heavy particles and other solids settle to the bottom as
secondary sludge. Some of this sludge is re-circulated back
to the aeration tanks as “seed” to stimulate the activated
sludge process. The returned sludge contains millions
of microorganisms that help maintain the right mix of
bacteria and air in the tank and contribute to the removal
of as many pollutants as possible.
The remaining secondary sludge is removed from the
settling tanks and added to the primary sludge for further
processing in the sludge handling facilities. Wastewater
passes through the settling tanks in two to three hours
Thickening tanks allow the sludge produced by primary and
and then flows to a disinfection tank. secondary treatments to settle and thicken (an important step
which aids the sludge digestion process).
Disinfection
Even after primary and secondary treatment, disease- Digestion
causing organisms may remain in the treated wastewater. After thickening, the sludge is further treated to make it
To disinfect and kill harmful organisms, the wastewater safer for the environment. The sludge is placed in oxygen-
spends a minimum of 15-20 minutes in chlorine-contact free tanks, called digesters, and heated to at least 95 degrees
tanks mixing with sodium hypochlorite, the same chemical Fahrenheit for between 15 to 20 days. This stimulates the
found in common household bleach. The treated waste- growth of anaerobic bacteria, which consume organic
water, or effluent, is then released into local waterways. material in the sludge. Unlike the bacteria in the aeration
Disinfection is an essential step because it protects the tanks, these bacteria thrive in an oxygen-free or “anaerobic”
health of people who use local beaches and enjoy other environment. The digestion process stabilizes the thickened
recreational activities on or near the water. sludge by converting much of the material into water,
carbon dioxide and methane gas. The black sludge that
remains after digestion has the consistency of pea soup
and has little odor. This is called digested sludge.

8 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Methane gas is often used as an energy source at the to operate the plants. This technology contributes to New
City’s wastewater treatment plants. The gas may be used York City’s efforts to enhance clean air operations at its
in engines to produce electricity or directly drive plant facilities. There is a significant reduction in air emissions
equipment. Gas is also used in boilers to provide heat for as a result of using fuel cells.
digestion and plant-wide buildings. Currently, DEP and
Digester sludge is pumped from sludge storage tanks
the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have jointly
to a dewatering facility. At some treatment plants, where
installed fuel cells at four of the City’s water pollution
there are no dewatering facilities on site, the sludge is
control plants; 26th Ward, Red Hook, Oakwood Beach
transported for processing through a pipeline or by a
and Hunts Point. Fuel cells convert the methane gas and
sludge boat to a plant that has a dewatering facility.
carbon dioxide into heat and electricity that is then used
(See pictures of sludge vessels on page 25.)

Sludge dewatering
Dewatering reduces the liquid volume of sludge by about
90%. New York City operates dewatering facilities at eight
of its 14 treatment plants. At these facilities, digested
sludge is sent through large centrifuges that operate like
the spin cycle of a washing machine. The force from the
very fast spinning of the centrifuges separates most of the
water from the solids in the sludge, creating a substance
knows as biosolids. The water drawn from the spinning
process is then returned to the head of the plant for
reprocessing. Adding a substance called organic polymer
improves the consistency of the “cake”, resulting in a
Digester sludge is stored temporarily in a sludge storage tank
firmer, more manageable product. The biosolids cake is
prior to dewatering and while awaiting shipment to a plant with
a dewatering facility approximately 25 to 27percent solid material.

Beneficial Use of Biosolids

ince 1938, sewage sludge had been treated as a For the interim program, three contractors were hired
S waste byproduct and removed from New York
City treatment plants by barge and disposed of at
through five-year contracts at a cost of $100 million per
year to provide land-based biosolids management. The
sea. In 1988, Congress passed the Ocean Dumping contractors were responsible for the processing, production
Ban Act, forbidding ocean disposal of sewage sludge and shipment of biosolids as high-quality soil amendments
by June 30, 1992. DEP devised a three-pronged and the application thereof. The long-term program
approach – an immediate, an interim, and a long- currently costs $50 million annually, and includes three
term program – to administer the 1,200 wet tons of 15-year contracts that were let for the city’s entire biosolids
sludge produced each day. The immediate program production through June 2013. After dewatering, the sludge,
resulted in a final design of eight dewatering now known as biosolids, is 100 percent beneficially used
facilities with construction to begin in March 1991. as a valuable resource because of its high nutrient and
By December 1991 the first facility went on line. organic contents. Biosolids and biosolids products are
The other seven were finished and became opera- used as fertilizers or soil conditioners which are spread
tional by June 1992 at a cost of$670 million. on parkland, farmland, lawns, golf courses and cemeteries.
Today, the remaining six plants not served by Biosolids can also be used to cover inactive landfills or
onsite dewatering facilities transport their sludge as a daily cover for active ones.
for dewatering either through force mains or
sludge vessels.

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 9

 How Biosolids Are Used

Land application of Class ‘B’ biosolids to Texas rangeland.

Heat dried pellets are over 99% pathogen free – the nutrient
content for pellets is: 5 – 4 – 3 (5% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus
and 3% potassium)

Land Application – Biosolids are spread on land to

return nutrients to the soil. Biosolids are spread less than a
quarter inch thick and are sometimes plowed into the soil.
Florida citrus grove where pellets have been applied.
Biosolids have been directly applied to corn crops, wheat
and grazing land in Colorado and Virginia.
Composting – Biosolids are mixed with a bulking agent
(for example – wood chips) which allows oxygen to mix
with the biosolids more easily. The biosolids decompose,
creating compost. This compost is similar to peat moss
and is used as mulch or soil conditioner at golf courses,
nurseries, home gardens, lawns, etc. New York City’s
biosolids are being composted at a facility in Pennsylvania.
Alkaline Treatment – Biosolids are mixed with a highly
alkaline material, such as lime or Portland cement. This
Biosolids applied to corn crops in Virginia.
process results in a product, which resembles soil and is
used as an agricultural liming agent. New York City’s
biolosids are alkaline stabilized at a facility in New Jersey.
All of these processes destroy disease-causing organisms
and reduce moisture content, resulting in products that are
easy to handle and have characteristics similar to many
commercial agricultural products.

Fertilizer pellets used by New York City Department of

Transportation to beautify highways.

10 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Heat Drying – Biosolids are heated to a very high
temperature to remove moisture and kill pathogens. What
remains are fertilizer pellets. New York City’s biosolids are
made into pellets at a facility in the Bronx. These pellets
are sold across the country, many of them for use in citrus
groves in Florida.
New York City is strongly committed to the continued
beneficial use of its biosolids through environmentally safe
land application programs.

Pelletizer plant in the Bronx

How New York City Protects Its Water Environment

EP maintains and operates the City’s wastewater Testing New York City Waterways
D treatment system; however, its responsibilities
extend far beyond the management of the plants.
DEP’s Harbor Survey Program tests the New York
Harbor waters and sediments at 37 locations. Sampling
Wastewater treatment is only one part of a very
takes place year-round. Weekly sampling takes place from
broad program to protect and improve the City’s water
May through September and monthly from October thru
environment that includes: pollution prevention and
April. Typical tests measure bacteria, turbidity,
remediation; maintenance and upgrading of the City’s
temperature and the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.
sewer and wastewater treatment infrastructure; technically
The results are used to assess the effectiveness of all of the
innovative wastewater collection and treatment; ecosystem
City’s water quality programs and to monitor water quality
protection; and ongoing scientific and technical research.
trends. The Osprey, a vessel equipped with a small labora-
The ultimate goal is to reduce and control pollution before tory is used to sample the New York City Harbor waters.
it reaches our wastewater treatment plants. Since 1909, DEP has monitored water quality in New
York Harbor, the East River and the Hudson River, and
has published the results annually in its “New York
Harbor Water Quality Report.”

Environmental Concerns

EP manages a comprehensive range of programs existing building plumbing systems. Some toxins in waste-
D to address many of the most pressing concerns
that threaten our water environment. Following are
water begin as air pollutants that have fallen to the ground
and are carried by rain water to our plants and waterways.
program summaries. Wastewater treatment plants cannot destroy all of these
substances so they remain in small amounts (still below
Toxic substances standards set by the State and federal governments) in the
treated wastewater discharged to local waterways.
Heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, such as cadmium
and mercury, solvents and pesticides, enter our wastewater DEP tests the treated wastewater effluent released from all
treatment plants every day. Many of these substances come 14 treatment plants daily for conventional pollutants, and
from industries and business that dispose of chemicals in annually for over 130 “priority pollutants” that the United
their wastewater as part of their regulated industrial States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists as the
processes. They also come from people who use and improp- worst pollutants to ensure that federal and State standards
erly dispose of hazardous household items such as cleaning are met. These include metals and organic chemicals.
products, paints and pesticides. One potential source of lead DEP runs programs aimed at reducing some key sources
and copper in wastewater comes from corroding pipes in of toxic substances.

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 11

 Pollution Control Programs

The Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP): PERC Reduction Program: enforces special sewer
a federally authorized program, works to control commer- regulations that require dry cleaners to implement a best
cial discharges by requiring industries targeted by federal management program to limit perchloroethylene (PERC)
and local pretreatment regulations to remove specific discharges into the sewer system. (PERC is a solvent
toxins from their wastewater before it is released into widely used by drycleaners.) DEP regularly inspects the
the City’s sewer system. City’s dry cleaning establishments to make sure owners
are adhering to PERC regulations.
IPP helps to protect the sewers, the wastewater treatment
plants and the City’s receiving waters. The EPA requires DEP regulates industrial users of the public sewers in a
approximately 1,500 municipalities around the country variety of categories such as electroplating, metal finishing,
to implement industrial pretreatment programs. DEP organic chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. As
has been a control authority since January 1987. DEP’s part of the IPP, DEP issue permits setting forth applicable
program is annually audited by either the New York State pollutant limits as well as wastewater sampling and
Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) of the EPA. reporting requirements. DEP also regularly inspects IPP
Since 1987, the amount of heavy metals being discharged facilities and performs its own wastewater monitoring to
by regulated businesses fell from over 2000 lbs/day to ensure that the regulated facilities are in compliance with
37 lbs/per day. pretreatment standards. Whenever it is determined that a
facility is not meeting its permit limits due to a failure in
Two successful IPP programs are the Persistent Pollutant
operating and maintaining its pretreatment system, or not
Track-down Program and the Perchloroethylene (PERC)
installing the proper equipment, DEP will require,
Reduction Program.
through Notice of Violation and/or Commissioner’s
Persistent Pollutant Track-down Program: a Order, that remedial action be taken.
collaborative effort between DEP and the DEC.
Pollution Prevention Program: Pollution Prevention
Together, the two agencies work to track down the
Programs focus on reduction of toxins from commercial
sources of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenols),
sources through education and information about “green”
PAHs (Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbon), mercury
technology and good business management practices.
and other organic chemical compounds found in
our harbor waters. When businesses responsible for Dry Weather Discharges: In 1988 DEP initiated the
pollution are identified, DEP and DEC work with Shoreline Survey Program. Its purpose was to identify and
them to help establish improved (or first-time) eliminate sources of raw sewage discharge into the City’s
methods of pretreatment. waters during dry weather. This program in conjunction

Osprey Vessel Chlorine Residual Analysis performed by Operations personnel.

12 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 enabling personnel to check the daily operation of these
facilities from a remote computer. This program has already
succeeded in reducing dry and wet weather discharges by
allowing DEP pumping station operators to respond more
rapidly to station malfunctions, breakdowns and other
potentially serious system disruptions.
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO): The completion
of the Red Hook WPCP (on the lower East River in
Brooklyn) in 1987 ended the last, permitted, dry weather
discharge of raw sewage into New York Harbor. However,
the City still faces the problem of combined sewer
overflows. As noted earlier, CSOs can occur in wet
weather when wastewater treatment plants and/or parts
Sewer backup – caused illegal discharge of grease into the of the sewer system fill to capacity with rain or snow.
sewer system To relieve pressure on the already filled to capacity
wastewater treatment system, the excess flow is forced
with a more recent one, DEP’s Sentinel Monitoring into the open waters of a river, bay or inlet. These
Program, has enabled the elimination of 99 percent of dry overflows can increase the number of harmful bacteria
weather discharges. DEP continues to work on controlling and add other organic pollutants that consume dissolved
the remaining discharges by constructing new sewers and oxygen, which marine plants and animals need to survive.
taking enforcement action to correct illegal connections to CSOs also carry trash and litter washed from streets and
storm sewers. may contain toxic chemicals.

Grease: Discharges of grease (cooking oil) into the As a part of a multi-year, $1.8 billion CSO Abatement
sewer system from restaurants and other food related Program, the City is building retention tanks to hold the
establishments can block sewers, causing backups and overflows near heavily impacted bays and tributaries,
bypasses. To ensure proper disposal of grease, and prevent installing separate sewers where no sewers exist, and
sewer backups, the City requires by law that grease exploring other innovative solutions. The planning,
generating establishments correctly install, operate and design and construction of some of these facilities has
maintain properly sized grease interceptors. Special DEP already begun. In addition to construction of these
staff inspect these establishments to make sure that the retention tanks, CSO pollution has already been
required equipment is installed and working properly. noticeably controlled through improvements in DEP’s
DEP has initiated an educational program to address operation of its treatment plants and intercepting sewer
grease discharges from the over 21,000 restaurants in system during wet weather.
New York City. The Grease Response Education and Floating debris: Litter that washes down storm drains in
Strategic Enforcement Program approaches the problem the street can easily wind up in local waters and on City
with a combination of education materials, including beaches. This unsightly pollution, called floatables, can kill
foreign language material, which are distributed to birds, turtles and other marine animals that mistake trash –
restaurants in target areas. Sewer blockages can also be especially plastic – for food. Street litter that goes to the
caused by grease and oil improperly disposed of in treatment plants must be separated from the wastewater so
kitchen sinks and toilets in homes and apartments. it won’t damage plant equipment. Litter can also clog
Grease thrown down kitchen sinks in homes and storm drains and cause sewer backups and flooding.
apartments can also cause sewer blockages. The City is also tackling the problem of debris with a
Pumping Station Telemetry: Telemetry is the ability multi-faceted program that includes increased street
to send “real-time” (as it is happening) data to a remote cleaning in critically located neighborhoods; regular catch
terminal (computer) by utilizing a radio signal or basin maintenance; replacement of hoods on catch basins
telephone line. Since 1998, telemetry has been in that trap debris before it enters the sewer system; the
operation at DEP’s 93 wastewater pumping stations booming and netting of sites where combined sewer
overflows enter local waters; operational improvements at

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 13

treatment plants and collections systems, and a fleet beach closures since 2001, except for precautionary
of skimmer vessels that collect floatables from the closings, during the 2003 blackout.
open waters.
Area-wide decreases in sewage loading have resulted in
To eliminate illegal shoreline dumping (another source greater environmental improvement in the Harbor.
of floatable materials), DEP set up a Shoreline Dumping Indicative of this improvement has been the increase of
Prevention Program to monitor the City’s many miles of dissolved oxygen (DO) to levels that better support
shoreline for evidence of recent illegal disposal activities. aquatic life.
Findings are reported to the Department of Sanitation
Harbor Survey monitoring has documented significant
(DOS) Police for follow-up and possible apprehension
Harbor-wide increases in DO concentrations (~2 mg/L)
of illegal dumpers.
over the past 30 years (see below). Today, portions of the
Additional programs credited with limiting the discharge Harbor have DO concentrations above levels first
of floatables into the Harbor include the use of demolition recorded at the beginning of the 20th century.
vessels to remove decaying piers, and collaborative efforts
Regulator Telemetry System “Enhanced Beach
by the US Army Corps of Engineers, EPA and DEC to
Protection Program”: Regulator telemetry systems are,
collect large floatable debris and skim litter from the open
at present, fully installed and operational at 102 regulators.
waters and shorelines.
(A regulator is a device used in New York City’s combined
Water quality monitoring: To gauge the effectiveness sewers to control or regulate the diversion of sewage flow
of wastewater treatment plant programs, water quality is to the treatment plants during dry and wet weather.)
analyzed at 37 sampling stations throughout New York These systems are links to an internet software package
Harbor. Since 1970, DEP’s Annual Harbor Survey has that allows DEP to monitor each individual site
tracked trends showing increases in dissolved oxygen and continuously. The telemetry system transmits alarms as
decreases in fecal coliform – indicators of improved water soon as the level of the water reaches a predetermined
quality. The following diagrams detail these improvements elevation in the regulator. DEP initiated the “Enhanced
through fecal coliform measurements. Before 1974, there Beach Protection Program” (EBPP) in 1997 to monitor
was a large area suitable for “fish survival only” (the worst pumping stations and regulators that could have an impact
indicator) and very few areas were labeled as suitable for on the City’s beaches. The immediate goal of the program
bathing. By 1985, the number of “fish survival only” areas is to prevent negative water quality impacts that may
had decreased dramatically while the bathing areas had result as a consequence of unintended dry weather
increased. By 1988, the “fish survival only” indicator was bypasses and, ultimately, to prevent beach closures. This
issued only for an area of the Hudson River west of program incorporated the use of telemetry to replace site
Manhattan and for another small area near Manhattan in visits. The successful implementation of the regulator
the East River. By 2001, many of the waterways around telemetry system has had a significant impact in the
New York City were suitable for bathing. (See Diagram reduction of raw sewage bypasses, most important during
“Fecal Coliform in Surface Waters.”) There have been no the recreational beach season.

10
Nutrients: Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are
Dissolved Oxygen substances that are excreted by humans and thus found in
9
wastewater. Excess nutrients can stimulate the growth of
8 algae and other aquatic plants. When these plants die and
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)

7 decompose, they may reduce the amount of oxygen in the

6
water. This condition, called hypoxia, can affect the
survival of fish and other aquatic organisms.
5 SA Class Standard
Nutrients can also get into wastewater from industrial
4 I Class Standard
discharges, common household detergents and cleaners,
3
runoff from streets and lawns and air pollutants that fall to
2 the ground. Treatment plants cannot remove all nutrients
1 Surface from the wastewater. They can be reduced by controlling
Bottom pollution that comes from lawns, farmland, streets and
0
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 construction sites.

14 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Map of New York Harbor and Historical Sampling Sites

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 15

 Process Layout of a Typical New York City Water Pollution Control Plant

Centrate

Primary
Settling Aeration
Skimmings And
Grease To
Landfill

Sludge
Return
Primary
Sludge
Activated
Sludge

Grit Waste
Cyclone
Degritter Sludge
Grit To
Landfill

Overflow Sludge
Thickening

Heat
Pump And Blower
House

Boiler And Engine

Screenings
To Landfill Engine
Bar Boiler
Screens Main Sewage
Pump

Influent (from households, businesses, etc.) Wet

Well

Centrate

16 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 Skimmings And
Grease To
Landfill

Final Effluent
Settling

Chlorine
Contact

Sludge
Digestion
Sludge
Storage

Methane Gas
Dewatering
Facility

Gas Flame Tower

Storage
Centrifuges

Centrate Sludge
Cake
Land Based
Management

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 17

DEP has developed a long-term plan to reduce nitrogen each New York City plant is designed to handle a certain
in the effluent that is discharged into New York waters by amount of wastewater, when too much comes into a plant,
the City’s wastewater plants. This process is called Step it reduces its spare capacity. Unless flows can be lessened,
Feed Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR). Because added treatment capacity may be required.
hypoxia is a particular problem in Long Island Sound and
DEP has initiated a comprehensive program to encourage
Jamaica Bay, the plan will focus primarily on wastewater
water conservation and to reduce flows into the City's
treatment plants that discharge into the upper East River
treatment plants. The program, which began in 1989,
and Jamaica Bay. To remove nitrogen at these plants,
included the following:
existing treatment facilities and processes are being
modified. Some interim changes are already in operation • installation of almost 630,000 residential water meters;
at several of the critically located plants, and additional • electronic water main leak detection;
work will be in place at the other treatment plants by the • commercial and residential surveys to locate leaks
end of 2010. While costly, the test results show that this within buildings;
technology has been successful in lowering nitrogen
• incentives to replace old toilets and showerheads
concentrations in the affected bodies of water. The City
with low flow fixtures;
has been and continues to invest millions of dollars in the
research and development of new, more cost-effective • permanent and seasonal year-round restrictions on
technologies, programs and processes that will reduce water use such as watering lawns, and hosing sidewalks;
nitrogen levels in the wastewater. • installation of fire hydrant locking devices;
Water waste: On average, each New Yorker uses about • public education for school children and City residents.
100 gallons of water daily – twice as much as residents of These programs and others, have proven successful and
most European cities and many other places in this cumulatively together have reduced water consumption in
country. Naturally, the more water we use, the more the City by approximately 200 million gallons per day in
wastewater the treatment plants must process. Since the last ten years.

How You Can Make a Difference

lthough wastewater treatment seems like an

A enormous and technical process, New Yorkers
can help to maintain a healthy water and environ-
ment. Here are some of the things everyone can do:
Conserve water: There are many simple ways to use less
water every day, such as taking shorter showers, turning
off the faucet when you brush your teeth or shave and
fixing leaks.
Keep hazardous substance out of the sewer system:
Reduce the use of hazardous household products. Never
pour hazardous materials down a sink or toilet or dump
them into a storm drain. Save hazardous wastes for a
DOS household waste collection day or wrap them
safely in plastic and call the DOS for instructions. And
remember, it’s against the law to dump used motor oil
down a storm drain. It should be taken to a gasoline
service station for recycling.

18 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Don’t litter: Everyday items like coffee cups, straws and
candy wrappers tossed into the street may wash down
storm drains and end up on our beaches. If you’ve got
litter to discard, look for a corner waste can or take it
home with you.
Use Mass Transportation: Vehicles are responsible for
90 percent of the carbon monoxide in the air and are the
greatest contributor to ground-level ozone, the major
component of smog. By taking public transportation or
carpooling, you help reduce the toxic chemicals that enter
the wastewater treatment systems as a result of air
pollution.
Dispose of grease properly: Don’t throw used cooking
oil down the sink or toilet as grease accumulations in the
The Cormorant Skimmer Vessel patrolling the New York Harbor
sewer system can cause serious blockages. Every time you for floatables
cook, place the leftover oil in a non-recyclable, plastic
container (like a yogurt container or a clear, plastic, take- Report dry weather: If you see dry weather sewage
out food container). Cover and store the container in the discharges from any of New York City’s 700 combined
refrigerator. When the container is filled, throw it out sewer outfalls (an outfall is an outlet along the waterfront
with your regular trash. connecting the City’s sewers to the open waters) report it
to the City’s Citizen Service Center at 311.
Volunteer for Shoreline Cleanup and Survey
Programs: These efforts are co-sponsored by DEP, the Each outfall has a sign with the identification number
New York City Soil and Water Conservation District assigned to it by DEC. Be sure to give the 311 operator
(NYCSWCD) and the American Littoral Society (ALS). the outfall number when calling to report a problem.
Scheduled beach surveys take place throughout the City.
Volunteers record the amounts and types of floatable
materials that wash up on the beaches. This information
helps DEP keep track of the effectiveness of its floatables
capture programs. If you are interested in participating,
contact the NYCSWCD at (212) 431-9676 and the ALS
at (718) 471-2166.

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 19

 New York City Plant Locations and Capacities

Water Pollution Control Plants

Area Location Capacity
No. (North, South, East)
Mgd
North
1 Bowery Bay 150
2 Hunts Point 200
3 Tallman Island 80
4 Wards Island 275
South
5 Newtown Creek 310
6 North River 170
7 Oakwood Beach 40
8 Port Richmond 60
9 Red Hook 60
East
10 26th Ward 85
11 Coney Island 110
12 Jamaica 100
13 Owls Head 120
14 Rockaway 45
Total 1805
Legend
W.P.C.P

Service AreaBoundary
Service Area Number

Plant has Dewatering

20 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 New York City Wastewater Treatment Plants

Plant in operation: 1944

Design Capacity: 85 MGD
Dewatering: 26th Ward
Population Served: 283,428
Receiving Waterbody: Jamaica Bay
Drainage Area: 5,907 Acres, eastern section of
Brooklyn, near Jamaica Bay
Plant Staff: 93

26th Ward WPCP

Plant in operation: 1939
Design Capacity: 150 MGD
Dewatering: Bowery Bay
Population Served: 848,328
Receiving Waterbody: Upper East River
Drainage Area: 15,203 Acres, northeast section
of Queens
Plant Staff: 81

Bowery Bay WPCP

Plant in operation: 1935
Design Capacity: 110 MGD
Dewatering: 26th Ward
Population Served: 596,326
Receiving Waterbody: Jamaica Bay
Drainage Area: 15,087 Acres, south and central
Brooklyn
Plant Staff: 69

Coney Island WPCP

Plant in operation: 1952
Design Capacity: 200 MGD
Dewatering: Hunts Point
Population Served: 684,569
Receiving Waterbody: Upper East River
Drainage Area: 16,664 Acres, eastern section of
the Bronx
Plant Staff: 108

Hunts Point WPCP

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 21
 Plant in operation: 1903 / 1943
Design Capacity: 100 MGD
Dewatering: Jamaica WPCP
Population Served: 728,123
Receiving Waterbody: Jamaica Bay
Drainage Area: 25,313 Acres, southern section of
Queens
Plant Staff: 66

Jamaica WPCP

Plant in operation: 1967

Design Capacity: 310 MGD
Dewatering: Hunts Point WPCP
Population Served: 1,068,012
Receiving Waterbody: East River
Drainage Area: 15,656 Acres, south and eastern
midtown sections of Manhattan,
northeast section of Brooklyn and
western section of Queens
Newtown Creek WPCP Plant Staff: 88

Plant in operation: 1986

Design Capacity: 170 MGD
Dewatering: Wards Island WPCP
Population Served: 588,772
Receiving Waterbody: Hudson River
Drainage Area: 6,030 Acres, west side of
Manhattan above Bank Street
Plant Staff: 109
First and only Wastewater Treatment Plant in NYC to have a
North River WPCP public park built on top.

Plant in operation: 1956

Design Capacity: 39.9 MGD
Dewatering: Oakwood Beach WPCP
Population Served: 244,918
Receiving Waterbody: Lower New York Bay
Drainage Area: 10,779 Acres, southern section of
Staten Island
Plant Staff: 59

Oakwood Beach WPCP

22 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 Plant in operation: 1952
Design Capacity: 45 MGD
Dewatering: 26th Ward WPCP
Population Served: 90,474
Receiving Waterbody: Jamaica Bay
Drainage Area: 6,259 Acres, Rockaway Peninsula
Plant Staff: 41

Rockaway WPCP

Plant in operation: 1952

Design Capacity: 120 MGD
Dewatering: 26th Ward/ Wards Island WPCPs
Population Served: 758,007
Receiving Waterbody: Upper New York Bay
Drainage Area: 12,947 Acres, western section of
Brooklyn
Plant Staff: 68

Owls Head WPCP

Plant in operation: 1937

Design Capacity: 275 MGD
Dewatering: Wards Island WPCP
Population Served: 1,061,558
Receiving Waterbody: Upper East River
Drainage Area: 12,056 Acres, western section of
the Bronx and upper east side of
Manhattan
Plant Staff: 118
Wards Island WPCP

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 23

 Plant in operation: 1939
Design Capacity: 80 MGD
Dewatering: Tallman Island WPCP
Population Served: 410,812
Receiving Waterbody: Upper East River
Drainage Area: 16,860 Acres, northeast section of
Queens
Plant Staff: 71

Tallman Island WPCP

Plant in operation: 1953

Design Capacity: 60 MGD
Dewatering: Oakwood Beach WPCP
Population Served: 198,128
Receiving Waterbody: Kill Van Kull
Drainage Area: 9,665 Acres, northern section of
Staten Island
Plant Staff: 46

Port Richmond WPCP

Plant in operation: 1987

Design Capacity: 60 MGD
Dewatering: Red Hook WPCP
Population Served: 192,050
Receiving Waterbody: Lower East River
Drainage Area: 3,200 Acres, northwest section of
Brooklyn and Governor’s Island
Plant Staff: 55

Red Hook WPCP

24 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

 DEP Sludge Vessels

resently, NYC-DEP Marine Section

P uses these three sludge vessels for the
transportation of liquid sludge from
wastewater treatment plants without
dewatering capabilities.

North River sludge vessel

Newtown Creek sludge vessel

Owls Head sludge vessel

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 25

 Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization

Rockaway

Oakwood Beach

Owls Head

26 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization

Port Richmond

Red Hook

Newtown Creek

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 27

 Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization

26th Ward

Coney Island

Jamaica

28 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization

Bowery Bay

Hunts Point

Tallman Island

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 29

 Wastewater Treatment Plants Before Modernization

North River

Wards Island

30 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Bureau of Wastewater Treatment

New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System 31

 The New York City Department of Environmental Protection distributes
publications about wastewater treatment, the water supply system, water
conservation and other environmental issues. For further information,
or to obtain publications, or report water main breaks, streets leaks,
open fire hydrants, sewer or storm drain backups and other problems, contact
New York City’s 24-hour Citizen Service Center at 311.
You may also visit the New York City DEP web site at:

Call 311 for assistance.

New York City

Department of Environmental Protection
59-17 Junction Blvd., Flushing, New York 11373

Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor

Emily Lloyd, Commissioner

Bureau of Wastewater Treatment

Alfonso R. Lopez, P.E. Deputy Commissioner

32 New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System

Wards Island Wastewater Treatment Plant - 1938