The consequences of fracking for New York City

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Folks in New York City who wonder why they should worry about fracking upstate should talk to their favorite bakers, brewers and baristas. New York’s clean, unfiltered tap water is considered some of the best in the world – so good it’s considered the “secret ingredient” of many of our favorite things to eat and drink. Ask Louis Thompson of  Terrace Bagels in Brooklyn – he talked about it in a New York Times piece on the city’s water:

The wrong water can ruin things, he said. “You can’t use well water to make bagels,” he said. “You could, but they won’t come out right. What, exactly is in that water, I don’t know. I’m not a chemist, I’m just a bagel maker. All I can tell is the water in New York has always been good for bagels, Italian bread, pastries.”

Why is our water so good? Where it comes from – the Delaware and Catskill Acqueducts, is up to this point among the most pristine in the country; so clean that New York City is one of the few municipalities not required to filter its water. New York City’s environmental department explained in a 2009 article that if fracking chemicals enter the water, New Yorkers could not only be using worse water, but it would be more expensive:

Twenty percent to 50 percent of the chemicals used in extraction ends up in the wastewater, for which the state has no disposal method, said Paul Rush, the department’s deputy commissioner, who presented the report at the briefing.

He added that the projected operating costs would increase water rates for New York City residents by at least 30 percent because an increase in filtering costs.

Not only would your drinking water get fracked, but your bagels and wallet, too? No way – folks in the five boroughs need to unite with our Upstate neighbors to say “Don’t frack with our water!”

(image via Yelp)