The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

water quality

“I Must Go Down to the River Again…”

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Riverkeeper’s patrol boat logs more than 5,000 nautical miles a year along the Hudson River, from the Mohawk and Upper Hudson down the Estuary to New York Harbor. The boat provides a deterrent to polluters, a platform for research, and a means of educating and connecting with the public. Its “home port” is Westerly Marina in Ossining.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERKEEPER

Are visions of fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking and gardening swirling in your head? Obviously, the common denominator in these fun pursuits is w-a-t-e-r.

Like the Hudson River, the largest body of water among us, water is a year-round commodity that we easily take for granted, but shouldn’t. So much revolves around this amazing body of water, which the Mahican Indians named Muh-he-kun-he-tuk, “the river that flows both ways.”

Volunteers clean up the Sing Sing Kill, a Hudson River tributary, in Ossining during Riverkeeper Sweep on May 4, 2019.
PHOTO BY GARETH HOUGHAM

What Makes the Hudson River So Special?

Named after Henry Hudson, the English navigator who visited the river in his schooner Half Moon circa 1609, the Hudson River makes its 315-mile journey from Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondack Mountains to New York Harbor before blending in with the Atlantic Ocean.

Extending for around 153 miles, the lower part of the Hudson is a tidal estuary, meaning that it “ebbs and flows with the ocean tide,” per Riverkeeper.org. It contains a combination of salty ocean water and freshwater from tributaries, aka small streams and creeks, all stretching from New York Harbor to Troy, NY.

Most people don’t realize that the Hudson River “supports a biologically rich environment, making it an important ecosystem for various species of aquatic life” for whom it “provides critical habitats and essential spawning and breeding grounds,” say the Riverkeeper’s proponents.

Riverkeeper.org, which started over 50 years ago as the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, plays a major role in protecting the Hudson River’s ecology and the drinking water supply. Dan Shapley, its Water Quality Program Director since 2014, shared some interesting facts about Hudson River water quality that apply specifically to Ossining and Briarcliff Manor, as well as to other river communities.

For example, “The Hudson is only as clean as its tributaries…. In Ossining, it’s our [Riverkeeper’s] job to take care of the small streams like the Sing Sing Kill and Sparta Brook….” That makes sense since whatever goes into the streams ends up in the Hudson.

Village of Ossining Mayor Victoria Gearity highlighted the aesthetic aspect of what’s known as “the Sing Sing Kill Greenway,” which has become a wonderful place to walk. In her February 10th “message” to residents, she noted: “The Sing Sing Kill Greenway began as an infrastructure project whose purpose was to protect the Hudson River from contamination by encasing in concrete the sanitary sewer line that runs through this tributary. Modest upgrades transformed the project to become a greenway, with a vision to eventually connect pedestrians all the way to Water Street from downtown.”

And Dan Shapley added: “The Sing Sing Kill, particularly, is such a community asset, with the greenway trail that runs along it. It’s something we should cherish and protect.”

Shapley’s passion for the Hudson River comes out loud and clear: “The Hudson River is an amazing engine of life for the Atlantic Ocean, a source of drinking water for more than 100,000 people, and a source of joy for those of us who paddle or swim in it or visit the water’s edge.”

This time of year, it’s important to note that as one moves “away from shorelines or tributaries,” Shapley said, “water quality is often safe for swimming… However, nearer to the shoreline, water quality is much more variable, and is often risky for swimming after rain.” So, for communities along the shoreline, such as Ossining and Briarcliff, swimming might be a problem.

However, Shapley continued: “…Ossining beach at Louis Engel Park is right on the cusp of meeting the EPA’s criteria for a safe swimming beach.” Since “water quality is so close to meeting EPA’s threshold for safe swimming, we and the elected leaders of Ossining (Town and Village) have been looking for opportunities to expand public recreation at the beach.” That’s good news particularly for post-COVID times.

Meanwhile, Ossining-area residents will have to be content with a number of other water-related activities.

William Garrison, the Village of Ossining’s Superintendent of Recreation and Parks, cited the popular kayaking tours and lessons, a sailing program, and the Spray Park, which is “a designated area with special spouts that squirt water for young children and their parents to cool off during the hot summer days.”

Keeping the River Clean

The recreational benefits of the Hudson River are greatly enhanced by Sweep, Riverkeeper’s annual one-day service event. Co-directed by Jen Benson and Nick Mitch, Sweep coordinates 2,000 volunteers who “sweep up” trash and debris from 120 locations along the Hudson River Watershed and its tributaries. So, how much trash has Sweep scooped up over the years?

“Over the last eight years,” Benson said, “Sweep projects have removed 259 tons of debris [riverwide], including 28.6 tons of recycling.” And in Ossining alone, Shapley noted, 3.5 tons of trash (7,009 lbs) have been removed. And 60+ storm drains have been “stenciled,” meaning that the drains were marked with reminders “that trash on the street reaches our streams via storm drains and pipes.”

What an astonishing amount of junk. I cringed just hearing those figures.

Recreational and water-quality issues aside, Riverkeeper and other groups, along with elected officials from the Village and the Town of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor, also have their eyes on the future of the Hudson River–and with some level of concern.

In discussing the importance of the Hudson River, Ossining Town Supervisor, Dana Levenberg, stressed that the Hudson is “critical for economic development, recreation, and commerce. It is a defining characteristic of our Town and Village.”

But “… what keeps me ‘up at night’ is the idea that the Metro North railroad line along the Hudson River will not exist in 80 years if nothing is done. The culprit? Sea-level rise causing coastline changes.”

“Sea-level rise causing coastline changes”? That sounds almost ominous.

Levenberg went on to explain: “The Metro North line is the life force of our Hudson Valley. It’s either going to need to be raised seriously by an awful lot or moved or replaced with alternative transportation. Either way, this is going to be a multi-million dollar project in the coming years…. As sea levels rise and climate change impacts our shorelines, we need to plan for short-, medium- and long-term changes effectively.”

For both Town Supervisor Levenberg and Victoria Gearity, Mayor of the Village of Ossining, “the critical question is ‘How can we embrace and take advantage of rising-water levels so that it ends up improving our communities and not destroying them?'”

The same sentiment goes for the Village of Briarcliff, which has a more modest stretch of coastline with which to deal. Village of Briarcliff Manager, Philip E. Zegarelli, explained that there’s “a limited area of water access,” which is known as Scarborough Park.

Scarborough Park

Commuters on the Hudson Line are aware of Scarborough as a train stop along the Hudson. But does everyone know that five out of the six acres constitute the 97-year-old Scarborough Park, an acre of useable land with a dock and a lot of potential?

This park land is currently “being addressed under a capital project–the Scarborough Park Restoration Project.” Zegarelli pointed out its purpose: “restore and stabilize the shoreline,” which has been subject to “constant storm and tidal effects of the Hudson River.”

Like Ossining, it too will have to deal with the impact of sea-level changes in the future. Meanwhile, Briarcliff Manor residents and visitors are encouraged “to use the area for picnicking, for enjoying the gorgeous river sunsets, and for fishing.”

And there are always the small lakes that Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven Vescio says have “great trail ways,” which have been enhanced, “making them more enjoyable for our residents to hike or bike along them.”

So what do you say? Perhaps a trip down by the riverside to the Ossining or the Briarcliff Manor coastline is indeed an idea whose time has come.

For Riverkeeper programming during the pandemic, be sure to visit riverkeeper.org for rescheduled and/or online events.

Local Conservation Leaders: Making a Difference Toward Protecting our Natural Environment

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The Conservation Advisory Council of Pleasantville (CAC) is a local committee dedicated to the preservation and improvement of our village’s beautiful natural environment. Made up of knowledgeable members with a variety of strengths and skill sets, council members pool their collective talent, make recommendations, jumpstart projects or otherwise help to assist the Village Board with matters regarding the preservation and protection of the town’s natural resources.

This may sound daunting, but by tackling specific challenges, real progress is made. Individual members share their knowledge and skills on everything from wetlands mapping to clean-ups and sustainability efforts–all of which help maintain the beauty and integrity of our village’s natural surroundings.

As chairperson Helen Meurer puts it, the CAC exists to “protect natural habitats and water quality” and is made up of “members [who] are enthusiastic about the wonders of nature.”

Minding the Landscape

Many in the community embrace the Conservation Advisory Council and recognize its work as a very valuable asset to the town. This ensures that Pleasantville’s natural environment is always being considered when making town decisions. Essentially, their job is to advise the Village Board how potential upcoming projects and initiatives may affect the landscape.

Meurer explains that its function “offers checks and balances with regard to building proposals to ensure that our environment will still support wildlife and allow proper filtration of rainwater.”

New ideas and projects are constantly being brought up by and executed by the council.  In just the past three years, the CAC has mapped and submitted an open space inventory to the Village Board, created a new wetlands map, hosted Saw Mill River clean ups, and introduced a 50/50 tree planting program to help residents get a tree planted in their yard for half the wholesale price- just to name a few.

‘Tree Walk’ in the Works

Currently, the council is working on a tree walk at Nannahagen Park as well as a tree photography competition in which the winning pieces will be shown in a gallery to celebrate the diverse, beautiful trees all over the town.

According to Meurer, the hope of these two projects is to not just tell people what they shouldn’t be doing and what they’re doing “wrong,” but to instead help them appreciate and celebrate the environment around them. She says the projects’ aims are “to help people appreciate and love their trees,” as well as to “celebrate our local trees both for their beauty and the health of our environment.”

Getting Involved

Council meetings are open to all community members which presents a great opportunity to get involved. It is a great committee to invest time and interest in. They are held on the third Thursday of each month at the Village Hall.

The council’s efforts to preserve and protect our local environment range from educating the community with fun activities like “guess the tree” on Pleasantville Day to getting composting bins and rain barrels placed throughout the town.

They also strongly encourage local tree planting and maintenance through their 50/50 program, in which the Village will share the wholesale cost of a tree and help to plant it too! The CAC is currently encouraging residents to participate in their photography competition as an easy way to get involved and get outdoors!

To enter, follow @pleasantville_village on Instagram and tag them in your tree photo with the caption “I love #mypleasantvilletree because…” Entries are accepted until September 1st!

Drink Up! to New Castle’s “Second to None” Water Quality

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Treatment Plant Wide ShotA Tour of Millwood’s Water Treatment Plant Reveals the Vast Improvements Made

By Matt Smith

When you walk to your kitchen sink after a long, hot day and fill up a glass with water, do you ever think about where the water’s coming from? And the arduous process it took to clean and filter the water, to make it look the way it does as it gushes out of your faucet?

Well, If you’re a New Castle resident, your water comes from the Millwood Water Treatment Plant and Pumping Station, located just off of Route 100, on Campfire Road. The prime Millwood location was selected because of its close proximity to both New York City’s Catskill Aqueduct, the primary supplier of New Castle’s water, and the Croton Aqueduct, chosen as the standby water source.

These two sources have jointly supplied New Castle’s water since the late 1950’s (Catskill Aqueduct since the ’30’s), though prior to April 1992, the water, while disinfected, was unfiltered. The call for filtration came with the enacting of Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments in 1986.

Shortly after, in 1989, the US Environmental Protection Agency legalized the Surface Water Treatment Rule, requiring filtration on all surface supplies. With the help of Hazen and Sawyer, the town’s engineering consultant since 1950, the rigorous planning, construction, administration, and operator training began, and in August of 1993, the new filtered water pumping station officially began circulation.Filtration Pipes

Since that day, the facility has produced around 7.5 million gallons per day of excellent finished water, through a complex — though easy to understand — filtration process. First, the raw water is drawn by gravity from the Catskill Aqueduct into the treatment plant, through a syphon connection. It undergoes a process of “rapid mixing,” which disperses cleansing chemicals through the raw water.

After this process, machines called flocculators thoroughly mix the water in three stages, to separate out impurities, such as viruses and bacteria, into large masses known as floc. The next step involves the injection of ozone for disinfection. The application of ozone after clarification, but before filtration, reduces the chance of heavy chlorination, which can produce harmful byproducts.

And then, of course, we’re onto the main event, wherein remaining floc particles and matter still in the water are filtered out. Some water treatment plants use this filtration process alone, whereas this plant combines it with dissolved air filtration and ozonation. In fact, the treatment plant holds the distinction of being the first facility in the United States to incorporate dissolved air flotation for clarification and ozonation for primary disinfection. Because of this very distinction, the plant was, in 1994, awarded First Prize in the New York Association of Consulting Engineers Engineering Excellence Competition and named Project of the Year by the Westchester/Putnam Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers. Ozonation

The water leaving the filters at this stage is virtually free of turbidity, pollutants, and chemical residue. The filtered water is then treated with a low dose of chlorine to prevent the regrowth of any organisms in the water, before being pumped out to homes and businesses all throughout the New Castle area.

And that’s it. Sounds simple, no? Fortunately, the process is made easier with a state-of-the-art computer control system that monitors pumps, chemical feed systems, and water quality throughout the plant–“like a giant video game,” adds Gerry Moerschell, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works at the Town of New Castle. With this system, plant managers and employees can track the state of the plant and the distribution of the water at any New Castle location, at any time of day.

And it’s lucky for us that they do. With their hard work, the quality of New Castle’s water is “now second to none,” meeting or exceeding present US government standards, and anticipating those that should be in effect well into the next century.

Comments Senior Operator Paul Steier, with the switch to a filtered pumping station, “the water quality literally changed overnight.” The increased capacity of the new pumping station has also alleviated past water supply problems that had disturbed the town in the past — and it has not gone unnoticed!

“After 25 years of throwing away a solid, brown water filter every two weeks, it’s absolutely delightful to see the same filter now snow white after three months of clean, clear water flowing through it!” states an anonymous New Castle resident. Adds another, “I don’t know about you, but this [water now] is the kind of water I want in my home.”

And thanks to the accuracy and precision of everyone involved at the Millwood Water Treatment Plant and Pumping Station, that is the water we’re all enjoying in our homes.

For more information on the treatment plant, or to arrange your own plant tour, please contact the New Castle Department of Public Works at 914-238-4771.

Matt Smith, a graduate of Skidmore College, is a regular contributor to The Inside Press, Inc.