North BK Waterfront Has 1.6 Billion Gallons Of Sewage, Study Says

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — North Brooklyn's waterfront is home to many things — the East River Ferry, waterside development, canoes and kayaks in the summer – and 1.57 billion gallons of sewage.

It turns out Williamsburg and Greenpoint's stretch of waterfront has the most millions of gallons of sewage than any other stretch in the city, according to a study done by the Waterfront Alliance, a coalition that aims to protect the city's coastal communities.

The group's Harbor Score Card report — which ranks waterfronts neighborhood by neighborhood on their health, strength against flooding and accessibility — gave the North Brooklyn waterfront just half a star out of three, the lowest in the borough, when it came to its health. The neighborhoods' waters have 1,567 millions of gallons of sewage and only half of its fish are healthy, the report showed.

But, if the Waterfront Alliance organization has anything to say about it, this and other unhealthy waterfronts might see a turnaround soon.

The organization handed out the scorecard during a presentation to the neighborhoods' community board this week, where it told members that a new tool it developed could help protect the waterfront in the future. The tool, called the Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines, would certify developers building on the waterfront if they meet certain criteria.

"We brought together about 200 professional engineers, ecologists, city directors, activists, whoever it may be, to help develop these guidelines," Samir Dalal, a fellow with the Waterfront Alliance told the board. "If they're developing a project along the waterfront...their project can be WEDG certified if they meet a certain amount of criteria we've outlined."

Dalal proposed Community Board 1 create a resolution saying that any project that comes before the board on the waterfront should be WEDG certified.

His visit to North Brooklyn was one of many the alliance will make to local community boards. The organization is going around the city to ask each local board to take the #WEDGPledge and pass a similar resolution, according to the organization's website.

"At the heart of the #WEDGPledge campaign is the idea that communities can drive demand for more resilient, equitable, and sustainable waterfront development," the organization said in a release. "It also champions stronger community engagement in the development of waterfront projects."

The WEDG manual, which is free online, is based on the organization's mission of upholding the resiliency, ecological health and accessibility of the city's waterfronts. Earlier this year, Brooklyn became the first borough to have its borough-wide board take the pledge.

Community board members told Dalal that they will consider the idea and asked him to come work with its Parks and Waterfront Committee.

North Brooklyn's waterfront, though the least healthy in the borough, scored relatively well in the other areas of the scorecard. It received two and a half out of three stars for its recreational accessibility and though only one and a half for its flood risk, had only 4.3 people at risk of flooding compared to up to 80 in other areas like Coney Island.

"With your help we can ensure that the waterfront really meets these standards," Dalal said.

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.