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FAQs
Click on any question below to jump to the answer for that question. With the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999, the U.S. Congress assigned the Secretary of the Army the responsibility for the establishment and leadership of the Onondaga Lake Partnership. The Partnership replaced the Onondaga Lake Management Conference, which had been established in 1990. The Senior Partners in the Partnership include: Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Governor of the State of New York, Attorney General of the State of New York, County Executive of Onondaga County and the Mayor of the City of Syracuse. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District office, leads the Partnership on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. The partnership provides a framework for local, state and federal governments to cooperate in rehabilitating Onondaga Lake. The committees of the Partnership (Outreach, Project and Executive) include representatives of the community including special interest groups, businesses and educational institutions. The Partnership oversees the activities of all the agencies and groups involved in improving the lake, including the wastewater treatment projects led by the County and the hazardous waste site remedial efforts managed by the State. The Partnership is also involved with coordinating and obtaining available state, federal, local and private monies to assist in lake and watershed rehabilitation programs. 2. Where is Onondaga Lake, how big is it and what are its tributaries? Onondaga Lake is located in Upstate New York along the northern end of the City of Syracuse in Onondaga County. The lake itself is approximately one mile wide and 4.6 miles long and covers an area of 4.6 square miles. It has a mean depth of 35 feet and a maximum depth of 63 feet. Its drainage basin or watershed is 285 square miles consisting of both urban and rural land uses. The lake's natural tributaries are Nine Mile Creek, Onondaga Creek, Harbor Brook, Ley Creek, Saw Mill Creek and Bloody Brook. Water flows out of the lake into the Seneca River through a single outlet at its north end. The Seneca River combines with the Oneida River to form the Oswego River, which flows north into Lake Ontario. 3. How did Onondaga Lake become polluted? The water quality of Onondaga Lake has been impacted by more than a century of domestic and industrial pollution from the homes, businesses and industries in the lake watershed in and around Syracuse, N.Y. Although the condition of the lake has improved since the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the closure of Allied-Signal Inc.'s lakeside industrial operations in 1986, there are pollution issues remaining for the lake's water quality, its aquatic life and bottom sediments. The major sources of the pollution can be divided into two main areas: those related to wastewater collection and treatment and those related to industrial operations and uses. Those pollution issues related to wastewater include ammonia and phosphorus which are released to the lake in the treated effluent from the Syracuse Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro) and secondly, bacteria and floatables from combined sewer overflow discharges which enter the lake via three of the lake's tributary streams. Phosphorus inputs stimulate the growth of algae which decrease the lake's clarity and lead to reduced oxygen levels in the lake's bottom waters. Elevated ammonia levels can be harmful to fish. Elevated bacteria levels can violate water quality standards and prohibit use of the lake for swimming. For years, industries operated near the lake's shore and disposed of waste products on nearby land or by discharging waste in the lake. As a result, numerous hazardous waste sites exist around the lake and contamination of the lake's bottom sediments led to its placement on the federal Superfund list. Issues related to former industrial operations include high salt concentrations in the water, acres of lakeside wastebeds, reduced near shore habitat, and the presence of mercury and other toxic contaminants in the lake's aquatic life. The total extent of the upland sources of hazardous waste impacting Onondaga Lake is still being studied. In addition to these two main sources of pollution, the effects of non-point pollution generated in the lake's watershed have impacted the lake. A variety of activities can contribute non-point pollution to the lake including pollutants that contribute to the lake's ammonia and phosphorus levels. Examples include failing septic tanks, improper disposal of household wastes, lack of best management practices in management of animal wastes in farming operations, and excessive street debris and litter in urban areas. Because non-point pollution does not result from a single point, identifying the extent of its impacts and controlling this form of pollution are more difficult than point source pollution. For more information on the topic of non-point source pollution, see Question #12. 4. What has been done in the past to clean up the Lake? The lake's water quality has improved since the passage of more stringent environmental laws like the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the federal Superfund program. Under the Clean Water Act, major improvements were and are continuing to be made to upgrade wastewater treatment at Metro and under CERCLA, the lake sediments and related sites were added to the federal Superfund list in 1994. Separate legal actions under these laws involving the State government against Onondaga County and Allied-Signal Inc. have resulted in ongoing programs aimed at rehabilitating the lake and meeting water quality standards. The County improved sewage treatment at the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro) in 1979 and upgraded again in 1981. Further upgrades to improve the removal of ammonia and phosphorus from the Metro effluent were completed in 2004 and 2005 as required under the Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) approved by the federal court in 1998 and were still necessary to meet water quality standards. Another factor that assisted in improving the lake's water quality was the closure of Allied-Signal Inc.'s Syracuse operations in 1986. With its closure, direct discharges of mercury, chlorides and other contaminants from that operation ceased, but contamination still continued. New York State filed an action against Allied-Signal Inc. (now Honeywell International Company) in 1989 that addressed both the ongoing sources of contamination under the Federal Superfund Program and the historic impacts on the lake through a claim for Natural Resource Damages. The Remedial Investigation was completed in 2002, which studied the characteristics and extent of the contamination in Onondaga Lake. Then on July 1, 2005, a remedy was selected for the cleanup of the Onondaga Lake bottom site, a subsite of the Onondaga Lake National Priorities List Site. The Record of Decision (ROD) documents this selected remedy. For more information on the ROD, please see question #7. 5. What is being done currently to continue to clean up the lake? There are two main programs underway to clean up the lake at this time and a number of other programs related to lake improvement issues. As a result of a lawsuit by Atlantic States Legal Foundation (ASLF) and the State of New York, Onondaga County and other parties signed a document called the Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ), which was approved by Federal Court on January 20, 1998. The ACJ requires Onondaga County to upgrade the existing sewage treatment system in Syracuse, NY (Metro) and construct new facilities and conveyances related to reducing the impacts of the combined sewer overflows. The ACJ mandates a specific schedule for the work to be complete, requires monitoring and reporting, and includes monetary penalties if scheduled milestones fail to be met. The ACJ is designed to achieve full compliance with the Clean Water Act by January 1, 2012. The majority of the projects, however, have been implemented well ahead of 2012 and water quality improvements in Onondaga Lake are occurring as projects are completed. At the current schedule, the County will complete over three fourths of the ACJ required projects by the year 2008. After closure of Allied-Signal's Syracuse operations in 1986, the State filed a lawsuit against Allied-Signal Inc. (now Honeywell International), for alleged past and continuing contamination of the lake. The lawsuit also includes a claim for Natural Resource Damages that address historic and continuing degradation of the lake. In December 1994, the lake's entire bottom sediments and any related sites were added to the Federal Superfund list and preliminary investigations were commenced. A number of upland sites owned by Allied-Signal Inc. (Honeywell) as well sites owned by other companies were identified as potential sources of contamination and slated for further study to determine whether or not they impacted the lake and should be included in the Federal Superfund designation. Allied-Signal Inc. (Honeywell) and some of the other industrial parties identified as sources of pollution in the lake have signed administrative consent orders requiring them to carry out interim remedial measures to reduce immediate threats of contamination. In 1992, Allied-Signal Inc. (Honeywell), signed a consent decree under which they were required to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) of the lake sediments, the impact of the wastebeds and contamination related to the company's former operations. Following completion and approval of the RI/FS, the Commissioner of the State Department of Environmental Conservation selected the appropriate remedies to be implemented and included it in a document called a Record of Decision. The remedial investigation was completed and a Record of Decision was issued in 2005. Remedies selected are now being designed and will be implemented when designs are finalized and approved. Please see Question #7 for more information. All of the other 8 subsites are in various stages of investigation or remediation. The State issued a Record of Decision for the Semet Tar Ponds site in 2002, but the Decision may be amended. The State issued a Record of Decision in 2007 determining what remediation needs to be undertaken on the Salina Landfill. The GM-Ley Creek PCB Dredgings Site completed construction of a cap (the remediation measure) in 2000. Construction of the final cleanup at the LCP-Bridge Street Site was completed in 2006. The remedy entailed removal and treatment of highly contaminated soil and sediments and control and treatment of contaminated groundwater. Final Remedial Investigation reports on four sites (GM-IFG, Willis Avenue, Willis Avenue Former Ball Field and wastebed B/Harbor Brook Sites) are well underway; after which, feasibility studies would need to be conducted before Records of Decision could be issued, remediation designed and carried out. The Onondaga Creek Revitalization Work Group was busy during 2006-2007 developing a community-based revitalization plan that will provide a guide for future development, water quality, and habitat improvements that can enhance social, environmental, and economic conditions along Onondaga Creek and within its watershed. The Onondaga Lake Partnership also funded another visioning project during 2006-2007 that solicited the opinions of hundreds of area residents about their visions for the lake's future. The results of these lake and creek visioning projects will help guide the Onondaga Lake Partnership when making future decisions about how to allocate project funds and achieve overall lake revitalization goals. The Partnership is also preparing to develop Onondaga Lake Watershed Progress Assessment and Action Strategies for certain lake improvement categories that are not related to the wastewater treatment and hazardous site remediation such as non-point source pollution and habitat restoration. Projects on these topics are currently underway and others may be funded through the Partnership. 6. Where did the mercury in the lake sediments come from and how will it be taken care of? Allied-Signal Inc. (now Honeywell International) discharged an estimated 165,000 pounds of mercury into Onondaga Lake from 1946 -1970. After 1970, the mercury loading was greatly reduced with the onset of new more stringent regulations. Scientists estimate that 7 million cubic yards of the lake sediments remain contaminated. As a result, the lake bottom sediments are listed as a hazardous waste site on the National Superfund List. Allied-Signal, Inc. (Honeywell) completed a series of mercury studies under the direction of the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the State Attorney General's office to identify the major on-going sources of mercury in the lake watershed and recommend ways to eliminate contamination in the lake and in the fish. In July 2005, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected a remedy for the lake bottom that will be protective of human health and the environment, including fish. Remediation will include dredging of the most highly contaminated sediment, placement of an underwater barrier over the lake bottom, and construction of a barrier wall to trap incoming contamination to be pumped for treatment upland. Please see Question #7 for more information about the Record of Decision. A major source of mercury in Geddes Brook and Nine Mile Creek and the lake was the LCP-Bridge Street Site. This site has been remediated. The actions taken at that site included: removal and treatment of mercury contaminated soil, removal of contaminated sediments, and control and treatment of the contaminated groundwater. These actions have stopped any ongoing off-site migration of contaminants from the site. 7. What is the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Onondaga Lake bottom site? On July 1, 2005 a remedy was selected for cleanup of the Onondaga Lake bottom site, a subsite of the Onondaga Lake National Priorities List Site. The selected remedy is documented in the Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD was issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), in cooperation with the New York State Department of Health. As of January 4, 2007 the Consent Decree between the NYSDEC and Honeywell for the lake bottom cleanup was approved by a federal judge. The Consent Decree is the actual execution of the cleanup plan for Onondaga Lake as outlined in the ROD. The ROD is based on the Remedial Investigation (RI), completed in 2002, which studied the characteristics and extent of the contamination in Onondaga Lake. Over 6,000 samples of sediment, water, groundwater, and biota were taken. Mercury contamination was found throughout the lake along with other organic chemicals. Most of the contaminants were found in the southwestern portion of the lake, primarily in an 84-acre area known as the In-Lake Waste Deposit. The ROD calls for a combination of dredging and capping of lake sediments, both of which are proven environmental cleanup methods. The goal of dredging and capping is to remove the most polluted, toxic sediments from the lake and construct an isolation cap of layered sand, gravel and other material to lock out undredged material from the lake system. Specific elements of the ROD include:
The cost of the remedy is estimated to be $451 million with a five-year period for designing the remedy and a four-year period for constructing the remedy. The five-year design period began in January 2007 and will include construction of a water treatment plant and a sediment consolidation area. The NYSDEC will continue to work with Honeywell to carry out the remedy. Throughout the design and construction of the remedy, technical documents will be reviewed and approved to ensure the effectiveness of the project. Meetings with interested parties, the public and the scientific community are expected to continue with the purpose of fostering good communication, progress, and a project that benefits the entire community. Detailed information on the Record of Decision for the Onondaga Lake Bottom Subsite of the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site is available on the NYS DEC website. 8. What are combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and how do they impact the lake? The City of Syracuse, like many older cities in the country, has a sewer system that collects both stormwater runoff and sanitary wastewater in the same pipes. In dry weather, these pipes carry all the wastewater to the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment and disinfection. When heavy rain or snow melt leads to an increase in the amount of stormwater in the system, the volume of the combined flow of wastewater and stormwater can exceed the capacity of the sewer lines. Under these conditions, the combined sewer system is designed to discharge via relief structures (combined sewer overflows, or CSOs) into nearby streams rather than backup in homes or in the streets. These releases from the CSOs allow bacteria, floating trash, solids and other contaminants to flow into Onondaga Creek, Harbor Brook and Ley Creek, and from there into Onondaga Lake. Under the court ordered Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ), the County's CSO program must achieve the following:
There were 70 overflows to be addressed under the ACJ program. The four main types of projects to address CSOs are: floatables control facilities, storage and treatment facilities, sewer separation and increased conveyance capacity. With the completion of the West Street, Water Street, Tallman/Onondaga, South Ave./Bissell and Brighton Avenue Sewer Separation projects , twelve CSOs were eliminated. With the completion of the Maltbie, Teall and Franklin Street Floatables Control Facilities, an additional four overflows are now treated to remove floatables. Through the Kirkpatrick St. Pump Station improvements and construction of the Hiawatha Regional Treatment Facility, two additional CSOs were captured for treatment and reduced to overflowing only at storm levels greater than a one-year design storm. Under the ACJ Lake Improvement Program, the CSOs are being addressed through a combination of technologies all designed to reduce the impacts of the CSOs on the water quality of the lake and its tributaries. Projects to address the remaining overflows that contribute to the pollution of Onondaga Lake are located within the City of Syracuse along Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook and are currently in the final design or construction phase. Because the majority of the overflows discharge into Onondaga Creek, most of the construction work to correct these problems will be undertaken in the City of Syracuse along Onondaga Creek. Construction work on the Midland Regional Treatment and Storage Facility began in 2004 and continues with over 90% of the construction completed by the fall of 2007. This second phase of the Midland project is expected to be in operation by early 2008 and capture four CSOs. A third and final phase of the Midland project will tie in an additional six CSOs to the new facility. Additional facilities will also be constructed to address the 18 CSOs on Harbor Brook and the 11 CSOs related to the Clinton project. The Facilities Plans for the Harbor Brook and the Clinton projects have been completed. Portions of the Clinton project are now under construction and final design activities are wrapping up on the Harbor Brook project with construction currently scheduled to begin in 2008. The entire ACJ program is designed to address every CSO in the Lake tributary system and reduce or eliminate their impacts. 9. Will we ever be able to swim in the lake? Is any contact with the water forbidden? There are no public swimming beaches adjacent to the lake. Even if there was a beach established at this time, the lack of clarity in the water and the high bacterial levels after rainfall events would preclude the use of the beach. Secondary contact with Onondaga Lake, such as from boating and fishing, does not pose the same risk and is not considered dangerous. Bathing beach standards may be reached well ahead of 2012, as major Metro improvements and various CSO abatement projects are completed and begin operation. However, creation and opening of a public beach will be a decision of the municipality, dependent on funding and need. The last beach in Onondaga Lake was closed in 1940 because of public health concerns associated with sewage contamination. Wastewater treatment has dramatically improved since that time with the construction of the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro) in 1960 and upgrades to the plant in the 70s and 80s and most recently 2005. In addition, when the County took over a portion of the City's sewage collection system in the 80s, it undertook a widespread program to clean and upgrade the combined sewer system. This led to a major reduction in the number, frequency and volume of overflows into Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook. This program, called Best Management Practices, maximized the flow of wastewater to Metro for treatment and reduced the discharges of untreated sewage combined with stormwater into Onondaga Creek, Ley Creek and Harbor Brook, which flow into the lake. Bacteria in the discharges from the overflows can cause sickness or disease and are the remaining major limiting factor for allowing swimming in Onondaga Lake. Today, public health standards for bacteria are violated in the southern half of the lake following storm events, which cause discharges from the combined sewer overflows. These violations prevent the lake from being used for swimming. During the summer months, the days of violation relate directly to the amount of rainfall. In the 2007 summer season, bacteria standards were met for individual samples in the north end of the lake all season. Violations continued, however, in the southern end. The County is reducing the bacteria inputs into the lake from the CSOs through the CSO program required by the court-mandated ACJ. In addition, public health standards for opening a beach require the lake's clarity to be four feet or greater throughout the summer. Phosphorus stimulates the growth of algae, which gives the water a cloudy, green appearance and reduces the water clarity. Reductions in the phosphorus loadings to the lake from Metro have helped improve the lake's water clarity; however, the four-foot clarity requirement is not met consistently. Lake modeling efforts and the TMDL process should further clarify how remaining phosphorus loadings should be addressed. Under the court-mandated Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ), the County is required to complete over 30 different projects designed to upgrade wastewater treatment at the Metro facility and eliminate and/or mitigate the impacts of the combined sewer overflows. These projects are all aimed at improving the overall water quality of the lake and its tributaries and bring the County into compliance with federal and state water quality regulations. The ACJ sets a schedule for these projects to be accomplished. Since the signing of the ACJ in 1998, the County has completed 28 of the projects called for in the ACJ. Completed projects to reduce the impacts of the combined sewer overflows include: Maltbie St. Floatables Control Facility, Hiawatha Regional Treatment Facility and Franklin St. Regional Treatment Facilities. Projects completed at Metro include: new aeration system, odor control system, new chemical storage and feed system and modifications to the digester and sludge lagoons. Construction began in the summer of 2001 on the largest single project in the program, which brought about the greatest improvements in water quality to the lake - the new Advanced Ammonia and Phosphorus Removal Facilities. These facilities, completed in 2004 and 2005, are implementing state of the art sewage treatment technologies, that remove greater amounts of ammonia and phosphorus from the Metro discharge before it is discharged into the lake. By combining the construction of the two facilities, the County achieved both a cost savings of $69 million and advanced the time schedule for implementation of the project. The advanced ammonia removal facility began operation in January of 2004 and the phosphorus removal facilities were operational in 2005. The operation of both facilities has had dramatic effects on the lake and current charts describing the impacts can be found on the Onondaga County web site. Other projects completed include: the Teall Ave. Floatables Control Facility, upgrading the Kirkpatrick St. Pump Station, the Onondaga Creek Floatables Control project and a number of sewer separation projects in the City. More information on the County's projects and their current status can also be found at the County's lake web site. On the County's current schedule, over three-fourths of the ACJ required projects will be completed by the year 2008. Completion of all ACJ projects is required under the order by January 1, 2012. 11. What fish are in the lake and are they healthy? Will they ever be edible? Onondaga Lake is filled with many game fish. As the lake has become cleaner and fish habitat has improved, many species of trophy size fish have been found and caught. In 1972, surveys identified only nine different species and in 1946, 13 species were recorded. Today, there are over 60 varieties of fish that have been identified in Onondaga Lake. Some species reside in the lake year-round and other species migrate in and out of the lake dependent on changes in the lake's oxygen levels. Some important sport fish species in the lake include: bluegill, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, common carp, channel catfish, brown bullhead, crappie, walleye and brown trout. The increasing populations and varieties of fish reflect a vast improvement from conditions in the 1950s, when fishery surveys showed that more than 90% of the total fish in the lake were common carp. Cold water fish are caught in the lake, however, a year-round resident cold water fish community does not appear to be present. It is not currently known whether it is feasible to establish a year-round cold water fish community. The general condition of the warm water fishery is good, but the presence of contaminants in the lake has led to the presence of contaminants in the fish, with mercury, PCBs, dioxin and other chemicals. Although fishing is currently allowed in the lake, the State Health Department has issued an advisory against eating fish caught in the lake and its tributaries because of this contamination. Consequently, the Onondaga Lake Partnership highly recommends that anglers practice catch-and-release fishing when enjoying this increasingly popular Onondaga Lake activity. Consumption advisories issued by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) are identified in the DEC Fishing Regulations Guide given to all license holders and in the DOH's publication, "Chemicals in Sportfish and Game," which can be obtained by contacting the DOH at 1-800-458-1158 extension 27815. The DOH has issued a general health advisory that recommends eating no more than one eight-ounce meal of fish per week from any of New York State's fresh waters. The 2007-2008 advisory for fish consumption in Onondaga Lake is more stringent than the general advisory for fresh waters: eat no walleye, largemouth bass over 15 inches and smallmouth bass over 15 inches; eat no more than one meal per month of carp, channel catfish and white perch; and no more than one meal per month of all other species including largemouth and smallmouth bass smaller than 15 inches. Certain fish species are specifically identified because flesh analysis identified high levels of contamination. The higher food chain fish, such as walleye, tend to bioaccumulate toxics at higher levels than other species. It is important to note that infants, children under the age of 15, and women of childbearing age should not eat any fish from Onondaga Lake because chemicals may have a greater effect on developing organs in young children or in the unborn child. As the cleanup of hazardous contaminants in the sediments continues, the levels of the mercury and other toxics in the fish will diminish. This, however, is not likely to be a quick process, since even if the highly contaminated sediments were removed, toxics will persist at low levels in the water and the plants and aquatic organisms in the lake for some time afterward. 12. What is non-point source pollution and how does it impact the lake? Non-point source pollution refers to water pollution that does not originate from a single clearly identifiable source like a pipe from a factory into a water body. Non-point source pollution originates over a broad area and a variety of sources and can be in an urban or rural setting. Examples of non-point source pollution include: sediment from construction sites, uncovered salt storage from highway operations, leachate from septic tanks, agricultural runoff of sediment or manure, fertilizer or pesticides from farms and residential lawns, street litter, and petroleum products from automobiles. These pollutants can be carried into area streams and lakes via runoff or transported to street drains through wind, rain, and snow and then carried into waterways. Because of its dispersed sources, non-point source pollution can be more difficult to control. It's also more difficult to assess impacts on the lake's water quality from nonpoint sources than from point source pollution. The extent of the impacts of non-point source pollution on Onondaga Lake is under investigation. However, any activities that generate non-point source pollution in the lake's 285 square mile watershed can lead to pollution in the lake. Fertilizers contain phosphorus, one of the leading contaminants of concern for Onondaga Lake. Phosphorus leads to algae growth, which impacts the lake's water clarity. When the algae die, oxygen is consumed, leading to depletion of oxygen in the lake. Urban non-point sources including street debris, lawn chemicals, and petroleum based products such as motor oil, can all end up in the lake and contribute to reduced aesthetics and water quality problems. An additional issue with Onondaga Lake is the impact of high concentrations of clay and silt, which are carried into the lake from Onondaga Creek. Most of these sediments come from the Tully Valley mudboils, which are located about 15 miles upstream from the mouth of Onondaga Creek. Mudboils are holes in the earth which discharge mud and soft sediments from underground. Much of Onondaga Creek's streambed downstream of the mudboil area is covered with these sediments. The muddy sediments reduce habitats for aquatic insects, fish spawning and plant growth in Onondaga Creek and contribute to the sediment loading of the lake. Some efforts, including diversions, pressure relief wells and a dam, have been successful in reducing the amount of sediment discharged into the creek and lake from the mudboils. Other sources of sediment occur due to roadbank or streambank erosion. There are currently efforts underway to stabilize high priority areas through various stabilization techniques. Individuals can help by learning more about the lake, participating in Partnership activities aimed at involving the public, and practicing sound environmental measures in their homes and businesses in the lake's watershed. To learn more about the lake, interested persons may consult this web site and the other web sites that are linked to our site. These sites provide information about the lake or water quality issues. In addition, the Partnership web site contains committee meeting schedules and minutes, responses to public inquiries and general scientific information regarding the lake. The Outreach Committee organizes the Partnership's Annual Progress Meetings each fall as well as a number of events throughout the year, designed to inform and involve the community. Details about these events are found on the web site. Individuals can also contribute to the future of the lake by practicing sound environmental practices, such as recycling and water conservation. It is estimated that 30 - 50% of the water supply used in the United States is wasted. Leaky pipes and faucets waste up to 30% of the nation's water (Source: WEF Water Sourcebook) - some is wasted through disposal with wastewater and some is lost in the water pipe transport system before it gets to its distribution points. Fixing leaky faucets and other running fixtures in homes and businesses will prevent thousands of gallons of drinking water from unnecessary treatment at wastewater treatment facilities. In Syracuse and Onondaga County, water conservation could assist in reducing the amount of flow going to Metro for treatment. Other water conservation measures include installation of water saving shower heads and low volume toilets and reducing overall usage to help send less water to sewage treatment facilities, thereby saving water and reducing costs. In addition to practicing water conservation, residents can reduce their use of pesticides and fertilizers on their lawns, help pick up litter and street debris, and properly dispose of waste oil and household hazardous materials. In the City, residents are reminded to keep leaves out of the streets and sewers by using brown paper bags for disposal of leaves in the fall. Leaves and bags are recycled into compost. In agricultural settings, individuals can adopt farming practices that reduce erosion and runoff containing fertilizers, pesticides and animal waste.
Last update: Oct 2007 |
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