Water
Water Solutions
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According to the DEC, watershed planning focuses on the relationship between land use and land cover, the movement and storage of water, and water quality. Many water quality problems are best addressed on a watershed basis, especially where watersheds cross political boundaries and involve more than one community.
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Green infrastructure includes the creation of low-impact landscape and design strategies that manage stormwater, runoff and floods — while also providing benefits such as cooling and visual appeal.
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Water supply is affected by many factors such as infrastructure, water sources, purification systems, and crate of consumption.
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Wastewater is often dumped down the drain, never to be used again. However there are many mechanisms that are able to purify wastewater for non-potable use.
Regional Strategy
Climate change means an unpredictable combination of too much water and too little. This requires more thoughtful attention to planning for healthy watersheds, drinking water supply, water conservation and efficiency, and improved wastewater treatment – all areas where agency responsibilities are fragmented and sometimes unclear.
The Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Public Service, and Department of State should convene an inter-agency discussion of the policies and programs to improve drinking water planning, minimize and repair water system leakage, incorporate water supply considerations into comprehensive planning, and fund programs to foster water conservation among residents and businesses. They should draw on recommendations from the Rockland Water Coalition, which has commissioned extensive research on best practices.
The Hudson’s beloved water stewardship organizations, from Clearwater to Riverkeeper to the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, should embark on a new generation of water stewardship programs that take climate change into account.
This Coalition will create a Land and Water Resource Network to stay on top of emerging issues and opportunities for climate-forward water stewardship.
Who Cares? A Partial List of Stakeholders:
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Hudson River Watershed Alliance
https://www.hudsonwatershed.org
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Hudson River Estuary Program
https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html
New York Water Environment Association
Riverkeeper
Rockland Water Coalition