Under the Surface: How Yonkers’ Outdated Sewer Systems Are Overflowing with Problems
The Hidden Costs of Yonkers’ Sewage System
Picture this: A sudden rainstorm hits Yonkers, New York. As rainwater rushes into storm drains, it mixes with wastewater from homes and businesses. This blend of runoff and sewage heads towards a treatment facility. But when too much water enters the system at once, it overflows, sending untreated sewage into nearby rivers, including the Hudson. This scenario, known as Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), plays out regularly due to Yonkers’ outdated combined sewer system — a design that worked for a smaller population and less intense rainfall but struggles with today’s demands. While this might sound alarming, it also presents an opportunity — an opportunity to rethink and redesign our city’s infrastructure to not only meet today’s demands but to build a more resilient, sustainable Yonkers.
The Challenge of An Outdated System
Every year, more than 27 billion gallons of raw sewage and polluted stormwater pour into New York Harbor from approximately 460 CSO events. During these events, untreated sewage can spill into local waterways, causing environmental and health concerns.
Despite significant improvements in water quality in the Hudson River Estuary over the past few decades, many waterfront areas remain polluted after intense rain events due to these untreated waste floods. Alarmingly, as little as one-twentieth of an inch of rain can overwhelm the sewage system, triggering these overflows.
In 2022 and 2023, Yonkers experienced severe rainstorms, and in 2022 alone, thirteen CSO events resulted in waste spilling into the Hudson River. Frequent CSO events degrade water quality, pose risks to local habitats, and disrupt public health and residents’ ability to use the waterways for recreation.
Yonkers’ wastewater treatment plant also plays a crucial role in this issue. It processes wastewater not only from Yonkers but also from neighboring river towns upstream. When the system overflows, it pollutes the river and leaves solid waste along the Yonkers waterfront, affecting both the local environment and the community. Addressing this problem requires collaboration across the region, with each town playing its part in reducing wastewater and upgrading infrastructure.
However, it’s not just about the city’s or county’s aging infrastructure. Even when we upgrade stormwater systems to better handle flooding, the risk of CSOs can increase if those upgrades are not paired with solutions that help slow down the flow of runoff into the drainage system, like Green Stormwater Infrastructure.
A Smarter Approach: The Sponge City Concept
To effectively manage stormwater and reduce CSO events, Yonkers can embrace the “Sponge City” approach. This concept involves redesigning urban areas to absorb and retain more rainwater, just like a sponge. By integrating many Green Stormwater Infrastructure projects — such as rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, and tree trenches — into our city’s design, we can make significant strides in flood prevention and water management.
A single GSI project alone may not be enough to handle severe flooding or significantly reduce combined sewer overflow events. However, when multiple GSI projects are combined into a comprehensive plan, they can produce substantial improvements. For example, standardizing tree pits design to capture and retain more runoff is one effective way to boost the city’s overall resilience.
Looking Forward: A Path to Resilience
To tackle these challenges, Yonkers must adopt a multi-faceted approach. While upgrading traditional stormwater infrastructure can help manage flood risks, it’s crucial to pair these efforts with GSI projects that can absorb and filter excess water. Projects like rain gardens, green roofs, and tree trenches can absorb and filter stormwater, reducing the amount that enters the sewer system in the first place. GSI projects, alongside traditional infrastructure upgrades, can help mitigate the financial burden while protecting public health and the environment.
Groundwork Hudson Valley is already leading the way, working on GSI projects that contribute to this vision and address other environmental issues. From planting trees, cleaning up the Saw Mill River, and building rain gardens, Groundwork is making Yonkers more resilient to heavy rains.
Yonkers has a great opportunity to address the challenges of its aging sewer system by continuing to expand on traditional infrastructure upgrades and innovative green solutions. Yonkers can set a powerful example of how urban areas can adapt to a changing climate and safeguard their community. This will require collective action to improve our water quality, protect public health, and make our city more climate resilient.
To learn more about what Groundwork Hudson Valley is doing, visit us at groundworkhv.org.
