Ambitious Water Quality Improvement Plans In City Of Rye Unveiled

RYE, NY — The City of Rye just announced sewer and manhole rehabilitation and repair work that will impact most neighborhoods, but will result in noticeable improvements for both property owners and the environment.

As part of a Consent Order with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and a federal Stipulated Settlement, the city agreed to complete a series of projects by the end of 2024. Rye is one of 14 municipalities in the region to be subject to requirements of the stipulated settlement.

To date, the city has invested over $8 million toward critical sewer infrastructure upgrades. A significant portion of this expense was funded through a 2018 $3.9 million grant award under the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP).

The first phase of work included sewer and pump station repairs identified in a 2018 Sewer System Evaluation Survey (Central Ave. Pump Station, Brevoort Ln. Pump Station, Midland Ave. Sewer, Locust Ave Sewer). Last year, the city was awarded an additional $10 million under WQIP to complete an additional $13.3 million of sewer infrastructure improvements. This was the largest statewide award at the time and was supported by Assemblyman Otis and Senator Mayer.

With the $10 million of funding, the city will continue to upgrade its sanitary sewer system by completing spot repairs and replacements, installing approximately 22,000 linear feet of pipe lining, and repairing hundreds of manhole defects citywide. The project will reduce the amount of groundwater entering the sewer system and further satisfy the existing consent order.

Beginning in December of last year, the Rye City Council awarded four contracts to complete sewer and manhole repair work totaling over $13.3 million. This includes extensive sewer manhole rehabilitation work, sewer lining projects, and sewer main spot repairs throughout Rye.

In addition to the designated sewer infrastructure work, the city has adopted two laws which will further ensure that the systems are functioning properly and are environmentally effectively.

In May of 2021, the Rye City Council adopted a law requiring that property owners obtain a "Discharge Compliance Certificate" (DCC) from the City Building Department prior to the transfer of title of any real property in the City. Under the new law, property owners are required to submit to the Building Department a certification from a licensed plumber that the lateral has been inspected and is free from any sources of inflow or infiltration. Enforcement of this law began on January 1, 2022.

A total of 473 Discharge Compliance Certificates have been processed since the law was enacted.

In November of 2022, the Rye City Council adopted a local law to aid in the prevention of sanitary sewer blockages, backups and obstructions from contributions and accumulation of fats, oils, and grease into the sanitary sewer system from industrial or commercial establishments, particularly food preparation and serving facilities.

City staff focused on education and outreach in advance of enforcement and identified a total of 63 grease-generating properties under the city’s jurisdiction that are subject to installation of grease traps as well as storage and disposal regulations under the law.

A final aspect of current work includes the completion of certain Environmental Benefit Projects (EBP). The first of these was completed in conjunction with the recent Rye Rec Park projects. The new bioretention basin is designed to treat stormwater runoff from adjacent areas.

The project was part of a larger series of projects aimed at revitalizing Rye Recreation Park. Some of these improvements include a new pavilion with a clear roof to allow for natural light, new walkways around the park and connections to Midland Ave. and other amenities to promote additional neighborhood walkability, new lawn areas for passive and active use, new native shrub, perennial and tree plantings and one of the largest pollinator gardens in the region.