Hudson River Sewage Outfall Remediation: July 2016

Monday, July 11, 2016

1st Sampling Trip

Yuri and I's first sampling sampling trip took place on June 22nd. The weather for the past few weeks was dry, so we were expecting to see minimal overflow from the CSOs we planned to sample. We started off by scouting some CSOs from the sidewalk along the river. Starting at the Troy Docks, we walked down to the Riverside Park. Much to our surprise, we saw raw sewage being discharged into the Hudson at the CSO located near Dinosaur Barbecue's outside seating.

We launched our canoe from the Ingalls Ave Boat Launch in Troy, NY (Figure 1), and took six samples; CSO 022, CSO 023, CSO 024, CSO 026, CSO 027, CSO 028 (Figure 2). CSO 025 was skipped due to the fact that we did not see it while we were paddling.

As we paddled we collected samples in sterilized bottles. The water was more or less clear, but there was a very potent smell from most of the CSOs. The samples were later placed in a refrigerator for storage.

Figure 1, Ingalls Ave Boat Launch.

Figure 2, map and numbers of CSOs sampled. Each shape represents a CSO and its probability of overflow. Green is low, orange is medium, red is high.

Project Abstract

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have contaminated the Hudson River with large volumes of raw sewage and other materials for decades. The issue is becoming more urgent as an estimated 2,000 new chemicals are manufactured and released into the environment each year. Hazardous chemicals, prescription and illicit drugs, antibiotic resistant microorganisms, and increasingly pathogenic strains of viruses pose new threats to environmental and human health.

The “Albany Pool” includes 92 permitted discharges from towns ranging from Waterford to Rensselaer, and has established a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) to mitigate negative impacts of CSOs on water quality . This plan, created by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, fails to consider new classes of chemical and microbiological contaminants that now threaten the Hudson River and other freshwater resources throughout the New York State.

Our proposed research seeks to assess the frequency, volume, and, to the extent possible, chemical and microbiological composition of CSOs within the Albany Pool. Initial samples taken from an outfall in Troy, NY revealed the presence of condoms, tampon applicators, feces, and other visibly identifiable materials. We plan to identify microorganisms present within CSOs using established genomic approaches and will attempt to evaluate and identify select chemicals of emerging concern, such as PFOA. The information gained from this research will increase scientific knowledge and public awareness of real and emerging threats to Hudson River water quality.