Background

In 2004 Enterococcus took the place of FC as the new federal standard for water quality at public beaches. It is believed to provide a higher correlation than fecal coliform with many of the human pathogens often found in sewage. The Federal BEACHES Act amended section 303 of the Clean Water Act to require states to adopt EPA’s published indicators for protective water quality standards. For marine waters, the geometric mean for Enterococcus is not to exceed 35 cells/100ml and no single enterococcus reading may exceed 104 cells/100ml. New York State does not at this point have published standards for Enterococcus, but in New Jersey, the federal standard has been adopted.

NYCDEP has been taking samples of Enterococcus since 2001. The EPA recommends that at least 5 samples be taken per month to be statistically significant. The New York Harbor Survey in general only samples four times per month per location. Nonetheless, the following provides a brief summary of Harbor waters with respect to the federal Enterococcus standard.

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Results

Excluding Newtown Creek, 29 of the 34 locations sampled in 2003 maintained monthly geometric means below 35 cells/100ml of Enterococcus. The five problematic areas in the Harbor were: the two Kills, the Gowanus Canal, and the Harlem and Bronx Rivers. The Harlem River exceeded the Federal standard in every month from June to September 2003. The following table provides the locations, regions, months and enterococcus monthly geometric means that exceed 35 cells/100ml (Table 5–1).

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Problem Areas

Gowanus Canal

Despite ongoing improvements in other parts of the Harbor, the Gowanus Canal continues to experience periods of high FC and Enterococcus concentrations. The 2003 FC summer geometric mean for the Gowanus Canal (G3) was 307 cells/ 100ml with a highest recorded level of 4000 cells/ 100ml. Enterococcus had a summer geometric mean of nearly 60 cells/100ml. Both of these summer values exceed regulatory standards for recreational use and contact.

The Gowanus Canal faces serious water quality impairment for a number of reasons. Its 1,800 acre watershed is composed of mostly highly impervious, paved surfaces. All flow into the canal is channelized through combined sewers and storm water drains. In addition, historic sediments are contaminated from CSO discharges as well as over a century of industrial discharge into the canal.

NYCDEP is attempting to improve water quality in the Gowanus Canal by augmenting its ability to pump wastewater and storm flow from collection facilities at Gowanus out to regional WPCPs, thus reducing CSO events. The combined sewer system discharges into the Gowanus pump station and several smaller stations as well as 14 CSOs in the basin. Under dry weather conditions, these flows are pumped to two NYCDEP WPCPs - Red Hook and Owls Head. NYCDEP plans a 40% increase in pump station capacity, 40% increase in flushing tunnel pump rate, improved floatables control, and increased reliability of systems through equipment redundancy.

Newtown Creek

Newtown Creek is a navigable channel draining into the East River and marks a border between Queens and Brooklyn. It is also the historic center of industry in the New York region. Water quality in Newtown Creek is highly influenced by its limited circulation into the Harbor as well as the numerous CSOs, Newtown Creek WPCP, and industrial discharges emptying into it. Its decaying bulkheaded shoreline is bordered by a number of industrial sites as well as the Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant. NYCDEP is upgrading this WPCP for full secondary treatment and expects to be completed by 2007 (Figure 5–2).There are an estimated 20 permitted CSO discharge points into Newtown Creek. In addition, oil that was spilled in the area over 50 years ago continues to seep out of the bulkhead along the south side of the waterway.

The three sampling sites on Newtown Creek had high levels of fecal coliform and enterococccus in summer 2003. The summer surface FC geometric mean for all three sampling stations on Newtown Creek was 345±70 cells/100ml with June being the worst monthly mean of 820±38 cells/100ml. Likewise, enterococcus was very high with a summer surface geometric mean of 116±7 cells/100ml. As with FC, June had the highest Enterococcus monthly mean of 233±14 cells/100ml. The confined nature of Newtown Creek and its limited flushing into the harbor along with high levels of CSO discharges are likely the cause of high FC and enterococcus values. Salinity levels in bottom and surface waters were well below the summer averages indicating that high freshwater flows and CSO discharges likely took place in June, 2003.

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