The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has finalized new water quality standards and classification regulations aimed at improving pollution protections for most waterways in and around New York City. The changes are intended to advance the goals of making these waters suitable for swimming, boating, and fishing.
“These landmark regulatory changes are a result of decades of progress in reducing pollution and a clear sign that New York City’s waterways are the cleanest they’ve been in more than a generation,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, DEC is committed to working with our environmental agency partners at New York City and federal levels to ensure all New Yorkers, including those in environmental justice communities, have access to clean water. These new classifications raise the bar and allow — for the first time — the potential for safe fishing, boating, or swimming in some of the city’s resurgent waterways.”
Rohit T. Aggarwala, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), added, “The waters around New York City are cleaner than they’ve been in decades. The return of whales, seals, and other marine life is the result of billions we’ve invested to reduce combined sewer overflows by nearly 85% since the 1990s. As climate change fuels stronger storms and causes more flooding, we must ensure that our ongoing work to clean our waterways will also address the issues New Yorkers talk to me about most: stormwater resilience and affordability. I thank DEC for their thoughtful work on these standards and I look forward to working with them to design programs that achieve all the goals New Yorkers care about.”
Since July 2022, DEC has led efforts to improve water quality and public health protections in New York’s saline waters. The regulatory updates include upgrading the classification of 30 waterbody segments, expanding areas protected for recreation, strengthening standards for saline waters, and providing enhanced protections for areas such as the Harlem River, Gowanus Canal, New York Harbor, and Long Island Sound.
Historically, recreation in these waters was limited due to pollution from untreated sewage overflows. Since 1974, DEC and DEP have worked together to reduce these overflows and improve water quality. The newly adopted rule is expected to bring further improvements and more opportunities for safe recreation in saline waters. However, DEC notes that these changes do not automatically make all waters safe for swimming or fishing; safety depends on factors such as rainfall, currents, boat traffic, and submerged hazards.
One notable change is the upgraded classification of the Harlem River, which sets a goal of making it suitable for swimming during most of the recreational season. The reclassification includes interim wet weather designations while improvement projects continue. DEC will reevaluate the river as these projects progress.
The announcement marks the completion of the third phase in DEC’s multi-phase approach to align standards with current uses of saline waters. Earlier phases included gathering public input and strengthening certain water quality standards. Future phases will address additional waterways.
DEC reminds the public to swim only at permitted beaches and to follow fish consumption advisories issued by the New York State Department of Health. More information on the regulatory amendments is available on the DEC website or by contacting the agency directly.
