About DEP

Commissioner’s Statement:

Welcome to the Department of Environmental Protection’s web site.  The web site offers a wealth of information about the workings of the Department as well as our plans for the future.

From our upstate reservoirs, the Department delivers drinking water to over 9 million state residents – more than 1.1 billion gallons a day.  Within the City, the Department operates over 13,000 miles of water mains and sewers. And to protect the environment of our surrounding waterways, the Department operates 14 treatment plants capable of processing over 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater a day.  In addition, the Department enforces the City’s Noise, Air and Hazardous Materials Code.

In the coming years, the Department faces the challenge of upgrading and building out our 100 plus year old water system to meet the needs of a growing City.  To accomplish this goal, we are making substantial infrastructure investments.  Perhaps the most ambitious is the completion of City Water Tunnel No. 3.  Under construction since the 1970s, City Water Tunnel No. 3 is being built in four stages and, when completed, will total 60 miles in length.  Currently, the Department is constructing Stage 2, which includes a Brooklyn/Queens leg to be activated in 2009, and an 8.5 mile Manhattan section to be activated in 2012.  City Water Tunnel No. 3 will ensure the resiliency of the water distribution system and allow Water Tunnels No. 1 and No. 2 to be taken out of service for repair for the first time since they began service in 1917 and 1936, respectively.

But the construction of City Water Tunnel No. 3 is just one piece of a multi-faceted agenda encompassing land acquisition and other watershed protection measures upstate, construction of the Croton Filtration Plant and the Catskill-Delaware Ultra-Violet Treatment Facility, the on-going replacement of water mains and sewers in the City, upgrades to our wastewater treatment plants, and long-range environmental planning to meet the economic development needs of the City and ensure the quality of life of residents.

I’d like to highlight the Department’s innovative work in environmental planning.  Currently, the Department is investing in the renewal of wetlands in Staten Island, called Bluebelts.  These recreated wetlands are a cost effective alternative to storm sewers, restoring natural drainage and providing habitats for wildlife.  In addition to this innovative approach to storm water management, the Department will invest over $6.5 billion in the next 10 years to upgrade wastewater treatment plants to keep the harbor and other waterways healthy for marine life as well as safe for recreational uses.

I invite you to explore the site and learn more about DEP.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Emily Lloyd

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