New York State Bureau of Watershed Management New York City Watershed Subject and Correspondence Files

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In January 1997, New York State Governor George Pataki, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, local government officials, and representatives of the federal government and environmental groups signed the New York City Watershed Agreement. This agreement was designed to protect the drinking water of New York City residents and the economic vitality of the local communities falling within the watershed boundaries. The need for such an agreement became evident during the 1980s as the quality of the city's water decreased because of polluting land uses in the upstate areas where the water originated.

The agreement identified elements for a comprehensive watershed protection program, including land acquisition, new Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations to protect the watershed, and a variety of watershed protection and partnership programs. Under its terms, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to provisions enabling the city to avoid filtering and chlorinating its water, thereby saving taxpayers billions of dollars over time. DEC issued a 10-year water supply permit to enable the city to acquire the title, through fair market purchase or conservation easements, to lands in the Catskill and Delaware Watershed and the Croton Watershed districts. Those purchases were then to be supplemented by additional city and state land purchases in the critical areas in future years.

Under agreement terms, DEC developed and issued new regulations in 1997 to protect the city's water supply while minimizing negative economic impacts on the watershed communities. These included regulations affecting wastewater treatment plants; septic systems; storm water controls; hazardous substances and petroleum storage; pesticide and fertilizer usage; and watershed planning activities. DEC and the EPA also committed to enhanced monitoring of the watershed areas. The agreement also created a Watershed Protection and Partnership Council, consisting of the partners to the agreement, to aid in the long-term protection of drinking water quality and the economic growth of communities in the watershed areas. The council allowed for the discussion and review of water quality concerns and the development of recommendations on actions which the city, the state, and the federal government could take to enhance watershed protection.

This series consists of a wide range of subject and correspondence files resulting from the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) participation in the development and the subsequent implementation of the New York City Watershed Agreement. Included are records concerning the drafting and final approval of the 1997 agreement; litigation affecting the watershed; city efforts to reduce expenses by avoiding needs to filter drinking water; implementation of the 1995 Safe Drinking Water Act, which provided $105 million from the federal government for watershed protection programs; and the development and implementation of DEC regulations for the affected areas.

The files also document the activities and reports of the Watershed Protection and Partnership Council, wetlands permitting in the affected areas, and numerous other topics specifically related to watershed protection and enhancement activities.

Transfer list.

This series was transferred under RDA 20808 and includes records from transfer list 120482.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.