Riverkeeper, with the other members of the Clean Drinking Water Coalition (NYPIRG and The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development), put together the first annual DEP Report Card in May 2008: “Making the Grade: New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s Drinking Water Protection Programs.” As watchdogs over the New York City Watershed, the Clean Drinking Water Coalition will update its DEP Report Card annually to ensure that New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) lives up to its obligation to protect the watershed.

In 1997, New York State, New York City, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), upstate communities and environmental organizations (including Riverkeeper) joined together to sign an agreement to protect the unfiltered drinking water supply that more than nine million residents of New York City and upstate communities use daily. This agreement, the historic 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), bringing with it open space conservation and stronger land use controls, established a working partnership and framework for watershed protection that is both cost effective and environmentally protective. We believe that, if implemented effectively, this agreement is the best means to preserve the water supply, the upstate economy, and the Catskills environment.

Why a report card? The goal of this New York City Watershed Report Card is to evaluate the progress of DEP’s efforts in safeguarding the drinking water supply for millions of New Yorkers and working with watershed communities. We also hope to spotlight certain programs and watershed protection efforts that need greater financial support. According to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Riverkeeper’s Chief Prosecuting Attorney and a participant in the MOA negotiations, “The City ought to devote resources to protection that are commensurate with its role as trustees and with the value of the watershed to this and future generations.”

By discovering where the problematic environmental conditions exist in the watershed, efforts can be targeted to areas that are in most need of protection or restoration.

Speaking for himself about the ten years since the MOA, Perry Shelton, recently retired Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) president and former chair of the Coalition of Watershed Towns who led the negotiations for upstate communities, said:

“I think we’ve made great progress. We started fighting regulations – now we’re getting septic systems replaced. This watershed program is something we can all be proud of. It’s important to keep communication going. We have to work at it together. But if there is more we could do, let’s hear from the people of the watershed and do it.”

Some of our Watershed Report Card key findings include:

1. Catskill Turbidity: Turbidity is a significant issue in the Catskill watershed, and the greatest threat to the continuation of filtration avoidance. DEP must expeditiously provide a new multi-level intake structure at Schoharie Reservoir to control turbidity in the Catskill system.

2. Stream Management Program: Although DEP attributes the bulk of the turbidity problem to the natural landscape of the Catskill region where clay soils are eroded by heavy runoff events, human activity causes channel modifications and land use changes that can induce or exacerbate erosion. Significant funding and effort must be put into the existing Stream Management Program.

3. Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) Objective Criteria Compliance: Overall, we think they are doing well, but a big risk is how to deal with the turbidity problem from the Catskills. Granted DEP performs more tests than required, but we believe DEP should include pharmaceutical and personal care products in its screening.

4. West-of-Hudson Land Acquisition: DEP should settle on payment of reasonable real property taxes to West-of-Hudson municipalities. DEP should also make must greater use of land trusts.

5. Croton Land Acquisition: DEP should step up its efforts to acquire land in the Croton Watershed. A multi-barrier approach is needed for the Croton Watershed.

6. Septic System Remediation & Replacement Program: Even with additional funding, the limited number of qualified workers constrains the number of septic systems that can be addressed. DEP should coordinate with state and local educational facilities to support training programs that would add to the eligible workforce.

7. East-of-Hudson Non-Point Source Management – MS4 Permits: DEP, working with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and local municipalities, should aggressively pursue formation of a public benefit corporation, akin to the Catskill Watershed Corporation, to assist with MS4 permit compliance in the East-of-Hudson Watershed.

8. Sand and Salt Storage: This successful program improved the storage of sand, salt and other road de-icing materials West-of-Hudson. However, DEP should begin to move beyond conventional de-icing materials and provide funding for the use of alternative de-icing materials.

9. Education/Outreach: City should increase and continue support of Catskill Watershed Corporation and Watershed Agricultural Council education and outreach programs. These programs have proven effective in building awareness on the need for and benefits of watershed protection and stewardship.

10. MOA’s Spirit of Cooperation: While it has come a long way, DEP should strive to realize the new era of partnership and cooperation the MOA ushered in.