This month alone, the Mamaroneck Sanitary Sewer District Wastewater Treatment Plant released an estimated 28 million gallons of partially treated wastewater into Long Island Sound, dumping more than 18 million gallons on March 5 and another 10 million on March 16.
In an effort to monitor, and ultimately deter, continued pollution to the sound, Rye’s City Council unanimously voted to join the Long Island Sound Watershed Intermunicipal Council (LISWIC) during its March 25 meeting.
Originally formed in 1999 by municipal leaders from communities across Westchester, including Rye, LISWIC experienced reduced activity during the pandemic. Now, the group is reassembling with the intention of providing a “forum for local governments to explore and develop areas for municipal cooperative activities,” according to LISWIC’s intermunicipal agreement.
Other municipalities listed on the agreement were Mamaroneck, Harrison, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Scarsdale, Larchmont, Pelham, Mount Vernon, and New Rochelle.
Councilmember Emily Baldwin presented the resolution, stating that, historically, municipal members collaborated to address issues such as “stormwater management and sanitary sewer inflow and infiltration.”
Pollution, particularly from wastewater, has been a longstanding and continuing concern regarding the water quality and health of the sound. Repeated environmental hazards, like the two Mamaroneck incidents in the past month, have triggered renewed interest in preservation efforts.
The Playland and Rye Town Park beaches have had frequent closings in summers past due to water contamination. At times, heavy rainfall has caused area sewer systems to overflow and cause polluted stormwater — including fecal matter — to runoff into the Long Island Sound and close many of Long Island Sound beach clubs.
When wastewater enters the sound, it introduces nitrogen to the ecosystem. This excess nitrogen can cause algal blooms to grow; as the algae dies and decomposes, it removes dissolved oxygen from the water. This lack of accessible oxygen can kill aquatic life, which has wide-reaching impacts upon the larger ecosystem. To make matters worse, these algal blooms can produce toxins that can kill marine life, birds, and mammals, and even sicken people.
Save the Sound, a regional nonprofit, publishes a biennial report card on the health of the Long Island Sound. Rye is located on a part of the Sound called the Eastern Narrows, which received a B on the 2024 report card, mostly due to low dissolved oxygen levels.
In its original form, LISWIC established goals such as preventing and remediating pollution and preserving natural resources in order to work toward a cleaner Long Island Sound and a higher quality of life in surrounding communities.
Now that Rye has voted to join, the city will appoint two representatives to LISWIC. There is no immediate fiscal commitment, though there may be discussions of joint purchasing in the future.
