Holiday greetings from Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. Thanks are extended to those who participated in holiday toy drives in New York City and upstate. The Department of Environmental Protection is assisting students at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx in creating a stormwater swale with recycled porcelain. Work is finished on a $7 million project to replace two bridges at the upper end of Rondout Reservoir in Sullivan County.
The Bureau of Engineering Design and Construction (BEDC) of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has unveiled a reorganization plan that reflects the absorption of new functions and developments. Hazardous trees around the J. Waldo Smith Monument near Ashokan Reservoir will be removed to allow for the creation of a public lawn. The DEP is preparing a $10 million sewer upgrade project along 9th Street in the Gowanus and Carroll Gardens neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has lauched its On-Site Water Reuse Grant Program, which is intended to provide commercial, mixed-use, and multi-family residential property owners with incentives to install water reuse systems. Grants will range from $250,000 to $500,000 dollars; sites with 100,000 or more square feet of space or those which share water between two or more parcels will be eligible. Work has started on a $7.4 million project to refurbish the former Ben Nesin Laboratory building in the Ashokan Complex. 210 people attended a limited access recreation event at Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx.
Energy edition. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has implemented several successful projects to reduce its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and is planning new projects such as the installation of a solar array at the Port Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). DEP and the Department of Citywide Adminsistrative Services (DCAS) co-advertised a Request for Information (RFI) to help develop the City's solar policies. The food waste co-digestion demonstration project at Newtown Creek WWTP, in partnership with Waste Management, was put into operation this summer.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has distributed a record 11,111 rain barrels to homeowners, which when applied to outdoor uses can save up to 40 percent of an average household's water use and lower monthly bills. A whale recently spotted in New York Harbor is an indication of improvements to the health of waterways in the region. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Public Design Commission awarded an annual Award for Excellence in Design to the Waterfront Nature Walk at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection's recreational boating program enabled 1,668 boats to be taken onto reservoirs, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year. The Marine Operations division was presented with a portal window from the decommissioned M/V Newtown Creek sludge boat, which was sunk off Pompano Beach, Florida. Around 50 educators participated in a watershed tour and learned about water supply, forestry and streams.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection and other city representatives celebrate the installation of green infrastructure in the Gowanus Canal watershed. The first batch of steel liners for the Delaware Aqueduct Bypass Tunnel have arrived in preparation for installation. Work will begin this month on a $100 million infrastructure upgrade project in the South Beach neighborhood of Staten Island.
The Staten Island Siphon was activated in a ceremony with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. This new water conduit replaces the original siphons laid across New York Harbor, which will be removed to allow for dredging operations. The DEP has started its annual holiday food drives at both its headquarters and upstate facilities. 750 agency employees were recognized at the 32nd annual employee recognition day at the headquarters of the DC 37 union.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a new partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to construct green infrastructure elements at several of the latter's facilities. The headframe over the Delaware Aqueduct Bypass Tunnel shaft has been erected. 264 volunteers participated in this year's Reservoir Cleanup Day.
The Always Creating Excellence (ACE) program recognizes New York City Department of Environmental Protection staff members that have exhibited outstanding effort, and have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the people of New York City.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), has begun work on a $132 million sewer and water infrastructure upgrade in College Point, Queens. A remote operated vehicle was launched to inspect a portion of the Catskill Aqueduct near Rondout Creek in Ulster County. Paul Lenz, who oversees watershed recreation and City-owned watershed properties for the DEP, has been honored as Conservationist of the Year by the New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC).
24 employees of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection were included in research presented at the annual New York Water Environmental Association (NYWEA) Watershed Science and Technical Conference. The first batch of 21 steel liners for reinforcement of the Delaware Aqueduct Bypass Tunnel have departed Louisiana for Newburgh, New York.Two teams from the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment participated in the Water Environment Federation's annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC).
Gardeners with the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations have discovered that monarch butterflies, whose numbers have diminished since the mid-1990s, have taken to new rain gardens installed as part of the green infrastructure initiative. Employees of the Department of Environmental Protection are encouraged to submit ideas for naming the tunnel boring machine that will be used on the Delaware Aqueduct Bypass Tunnel. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies has awarded eight DEP wastewater treatment plants with Peak Performance awards.
A playground with green infrastructure elements has been completed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, at PS15 in Manhattan's East Village. The granite spillway of the Merriman Dam was repointed by workers of the Bureau of Water Supply. The Watershed Agricultural Council and the DEP have created a $43 million endowment fund to safeguard agriculture and forestry easements. Bureau of Customer Service staff at the Bronx Borough Office were awarded a perfect score during a recent inspection by the Mayor's Office of Operations.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Catskill Watershed Corporation have performed 5,000 septic system upgrades in the watersheds of the Catskill Mountains. Annually, three crews from the Bureau of Water Supply mow, trim, and clean the 55.5 mile cut-and-cover portion of the Catskill Aqueduct. The DEP has announced a long-term agreement with Delaware County to commit $24 million toward road repairs near Cannonsville and Pepacton Reservoirs. The DEP has provided $210,000 toward biofilter and recirculation components in the water garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Repair work by the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations (BWSO) was recently completed at the site of the Sunset Park sewer collapse at the intersection of 64th Street and 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. The Dividing Weir at Ashokan Reservoir has been returned to operation following a $14.1 million project to replace the four cast iron gates and install bar racks. Family Fishing Day will be held on Sunday, September 18 at the Woodstock Dike on Ashokan Reservoir.
In cooperation with the Billion Oyster Project, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection introduced 50,000 oysters to Jamaica Bay. Using porcelain recycled from public school toilets, the new oyster beds will hopefully create a self-sustaining population that will improve water quality and protect wetlands. A $48 million project is underway to expand the Bluebelt system on the south shore of Staten Island. Work also started on a $56.5 million project to improve water supply and wastewater infrastructure in the Canarsie and East New York neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection's commitment to wastewater management and monitoring systems has made a significant impact on the health and marine ecosystem of the city's waterways. Monitoring activities are centered at the Newtown Creek Microbiology Lab, operated by the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment. Staff from the Bureau of Water Supply worked to normalize the water conditions in the West Branch Croton River after higher than normal temperatures were detected. Work is progressing on the first phase of construction of the Mid-Island Bluebelt on Staten Island.
Outreach teams from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection have reached 50,000 homes in southeast Queens as part of the Cease the Grease program. Bureau of Water Supply workers performed an annual cleaning of driftwood from the crest of the Gilboa Dam. Representatives of the Bureau of Water Supply staffed a booth at this year's Delaware County Fair to offer residents information about watershed protection, recreation, and partnership programs.
The 2016 New York City Department of Environmental Protection summer internship program concluded with a showcase of intern experiences. Seven SUNY Ulster college students participated in data collection efforts with DEP stream scientists this summer through the Watershed Conservation Corps. A decommissioned DEP sludge boat, the M/V Newtown Creek, has been sunk in South Florida as part of Shipwreck Park, a diving attraction and artificial reef. A helicopter airlifted construction materials to two DEP facilities on Breakneck Ridge in the Hudson Valley, which are not easily accessible by road.