Sewage Overflows into the Saw Mill River at Yonkers

Clearwater Educator Maija Neimisto and Yonkers resident Andy Hudak

sample the discharge.

While on our October water quality sampling patrol, friends from Clearwater alerted us to a sewage discharge in Yonkers. With their help, and the help of a local kayaker, Andy Hudak, samples were taken and delivered to the patrol boat for incubation. The results?

The samples reach the maximum that our system can read - 24,196 Enterococcus per 100/ml - that's 400 times greater than the maximum safe level of Enterococcus as defined in the EPA clean water standards.

Local and State agencies knew about the discharge - an estimated 4.4 million gallons coming from a broken sewage main in Tarrytown. Was the public notified? No. Were people kayaking and fishing nearby? Yes.

New York State needs a Sewage Right to Know law to ensure that our public health officials take the actions necessary to protect the public from contact with known sewage overflows when they occur.

Read more on Riverkeeper.org.

Testing Water Quality at Kingston

Collecting a sample directly from the outfall of the Kingston sewage treatment plant,

which discharges into Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston.

Rondout Creek is heavily used by fishermen, recreational boaters, kayakers and swimmers. We sample at three locations during every patrol. Some days the cleanest water we find is at the sewage treatment plant discharge. That means that raw untreated sewage is entering the creek at other locations. The local health department does not test in Rondout Creek and posts no warnings for the public. Meanwhile, the DEC renews permits to the City of Kingston for raw sewage overflows and Kingston plans to build a few thousand new housing units that will tap into the existing sewage treatment system.

Observations: Kingston to Castleton

Rondout Creek patrol early morning. Looking east at the CSX RR bridge. I don't go under the bridge when there is a train crossing. Chicken.

A flexible hose, like fire hose, has been led down the south bank of Catskill Creek from the area of the swimming pool at Forlini's Resort. We saw this hose coiled at the top of the slope several years ago. I investigated and found that the resort had closed. Now the hose has been deployed, presumably to pump out the pool.

At this time it may just be water which accumulated over the winter but it indicates that the resort may be reopening and we will have to warn them about discharging chlorinated water pool later in the season.

The smaller black suction pipe visible near the fire hose is probably used to suck up creek water for use at the resort. Catskill Creek is a spawning ground and home for a number of fish species.

Between Catskill Creek and The Rip Van Winkle Bridge on the west bank and straight across from Olana. Visitors to Olana get this view looking west. Another case of "Too bad sucker, I've got my beautiful view and to hell with yours". Good thing Frederic Church isn't round. He might go postal.

A very well established camp on Primming Hook on east bank north of Hudson. All the building materials were brought in by boat. This is prime habitat. To the north is a Scenic Hudson marsh. To the south is Open Space Institute land at Hudson. To the east is the Amtrak rail line. Clearing the camps (this is one of two) and adding this parcel to the surrounding preserved area would be great.

Eroded bank at Castleton Boat Club. In the past the club used waste cement test cylinders, spent machinery and extra building materials as fill and we warned them about the illegality of doing so again.

Erosion over the winter has exposed tires buried sometime in the past as fill. Very tidy stacking. How many tires are buried at the site? How much and what other kinds of waste material were buried?

An active Bald Eagle nest with kayakers below. Moments after I took this photo the eagle swooped down and attacked one of the kayakers. (Just kidding!)

Riverkeeper's New York WaterFest

Photos by John Lipscomb

The start of the kayak race.

Flotilla's on the move down the Hudson River to North Cove Marina

Towing the rafts back to Pier 96

Riverkeeper's New York WaterFest. We had great luck with the weather. In the morning the “Fletcher” followed the start of the kayak race with guests and press aboard. Then she escorted the raft paddle from Pier 96 to North Cove. After the awards ceremony she towed the rafts (17) back to Pier 96. The day worked out wonderfully.