State of New York’s Public Surface Water Supply Protection Act - Summer

This workshop report evaluates the proposed Public Surface Water Supply Protection Act of 2003, legislation designed to strengthen protection of New York City’s Catskill/Delaware watershed system—the source of approximately 90 percent of the city’s drinking water. The report provides a historical overview of New York City’s water supply infrastructure, including the development of the Croton, Catskill, and Delaware watershed systems. Because the Catskill/Delaware watershed currently qualifies for a federal Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD), maintaining high water quality in the watershed is essential; failure to meet federal standards would require construction of a filtration plant costing billions of dollars. The analysis identifies major threats to watershed integrity, including agricultural runoff, urban development, sedimentation, and pathogen contamination.

To address these challenges, the proposed legislation would establish buffer zones around feeder streams and watershed areas, preventing land uses that could degrade water quality and supporting natural filtration processes. The report analyzes the scientific rationale behind buffer zones and compares this strategy with alternative approaches, including engineered filtration infrastructure. The study also evaluates economic, environmental, and political considerations surrounding watershed protection, noting the need to balance regional development with water quality goals. The report concludes that protecting the watershed through ecosystem-based management is both environmentally effective and economically advantageous, provided that enforcement mechanisms, monitoring systems, and collaborative governance structures are implemented successfully.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.