Every time there is heavy rainfall here in the city it comes rushing into our sewers in such volumes that our wastewater treatment plants just can't take it, so they let a whole lotta sewage into our waterways—something we were all reminded of when the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Harlem caught on fire this summer. But it doesn't have to be that way, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection have come to an interesting agreement to try and slow the brown tide. more ›

It's expected that news reporters covering storms get drenched. But Washington D.C. WTTG-TV reporter Tucker Barnes got an unfortunate taste of what happens when there's a lot of a precipitation all at once while in Ocean City, Maryland: He got covered in a mysterious sea foam that is "most likely the effects of raw sewage pouring into the water during the storm." more ›

The NY Times has a dramatic account of the everyday heroics needed to get the uptown wastewater treatment plant working after a devastating fire—wading in 8 feet of raw sewage, anyone? more ›

Yesterday, NYC Swim held its annual Brooklyn Bridge swim, a 1K across the East River. About 400 people participated, which apparently was less than in previous years. It seems that some may have been thinking about the warnings about raw sewage which was dumped into waterways after a four-alarm fire that devastated a wastewater treatment plant. more ›

In the latest article in NY Times' series "Toxic Waters," about the "worsening pollution in American waters, and regulators’ response," the focus is on sewer systems. And the main example is here in NYC, starting at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, "where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated." And you will never think about a rain fall the same way again. more ›

An elderly man who was the owner of a Queens pub died yesterday when he suffocated in sludge after slipping and falling while cleaning his sewer drain. 83-year-old Luigi Cerrone was discovered at 4:45 yesterday afternoon after he had fell into the sewage drain he had been cleaning. The News lists his business as Cafe People; the Post as Prince II. Both establishments appear to be listed at the same address on Northern Boulevard in Flushing. Cerrone had been married for sixty years and was a great-grandfather. Relatives at his Bayside home who talked to the local papers told them that "Everybody loved him," and simply that "people are crying over here." more ›

Yesterday, a number of beaches, including Coney Island and Manhattan Beach, were closed after concerns that raw sewage, which overflowed from a sewage plant, had contaminated the water. But one beachgoer at Coney Island ignored the many announcements and actually decided on a swim—only to be "cited for failing to comply with an officer" (the Daily News also has a photo of him being restrained from possibly heading back to the water). Others were disappointed, telling the Daily News, "We were looking forward to this day all week. It takes two hours to get here from the Bronx. The water looks okay to me," and "In New York, they exaggerate. They see a mosquito flying near the water, and they make a big deal." Beaches are reopening, but swimming is not allowed. more ›