On the (New York) Water Front
Photo by Tony Cenicola/New York Times
The “fabled deliciousness” of New York’s water, which the city isn’t required to filter, is under siege, according to the New York Times.
Increasingly stormy weather that comes with climate change, for one, is muddying the city water beyond what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems safe for direct consumption. Between September 2004 and last June, for instance, four major storms have dumped highly turbid (or cloudy) water into upstate reservoirs. The tiny particles suspended in the water can interfere with chlorine disinfection, while serving as food for disease-causing organisms.
Another culprit being fingered is industrial pollution. Much of Westchester has been paved over in the last five decades, diverting fertilizer, sewage, and road salt into reservoirs so that from 1989 to 1999, the city has had to increase the amount of chlorine it added by 35 percent.
If the federal agency does conclude that city water is too sullied to be consumed directly, New York will have to spend huge sums on filtering, close the book on 165 years of filter-free taps—and absorb a major blow to its hometown pride.
The Worsted Witch » World Water Day 2007 said,
March 22, 2007 at 1:55 pm
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