WPCNR WATER REPORT. By John F. Bailey. September 10, 2005, Updated 11:42 P.M.E.D.T.: Leakage of raw human sewage from the Harrison sewer on July 18, from a deluge of rain which backed up the sanitary sewers on the northeast shore of Silver Lake has contaminated the lake for five weeks, according to White Plains Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti.  The human sewage bacteria content is just clearing up within the last week, the Commissioner reported to WPCNR Friday afternoon. Presence of E.Coli bacteria in the water trace the pollution directly to human waste.

Joseph Nicoletti,

 Commissioner of Public Works,White Plains.

Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Speaking to WPCNR Friday afternoon with permission of The Mayor’s Office, Nicoletti said his department August 30 samples of Silver Lake passed water standards by a comfortable margin, allowing Liberty Park on the lake to be reopened for Sunday’s 9-11 Memorial Ceremonies.

An Undisclosed Volume of Raw Sewage Runoff First Formed Algae in Northeast corner of Silver Lake which is adjacent to a Harrision Sanitary Sewer Line. The presence of the sewage in the lake was not announced to the public by the city, the County Department of Health, or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo,WPCNR News.

Nicoletti said two water test results by the White Plains dock taken August 30 on the lake’s West White Plains shore showed water quality at very low bacteria levels, while two test samples taken at the lake “outfall” into the Mamaroneck River  were, Nicoletti said,  “under the threshold,” for  fecal coliform and E.coli levels at which the lake front area would have been closed if it were a swimming beach. These were the first tests, Nicoletti said, in a month that showed the contamination level was declining. 

As of August 30, a test analysis performed by the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research, showed  on a sample taken from the North end of the lake, Coliform was reported to be 170 per 100ml, Fecal Coliform and E.Coli bacteria as less than 20 closing levels, (200 to 300 MPN).

On  a sample taken from the Silver Lake Dock area, about mid-lake, bacteria contamination was almost the same with Coliform Most Probable Number to be 170, Fecal Coliform contamination to be 20 and E.Coli at 20.

Human Waste In the Lake.

The test results provided to WPCNR by the city appear to prove the souce of contamination was human waste due to the nature of E. Coli bacteria being found in the Silver Lake test samples taken August 30. Levels were far higher for 5 weeks (1,600 MPN) approaching five times the level at which the lake would have been closed by the County Department of Health if it were a bathing beach.

 Coliform is bacteria only found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, of which human beings are a member, which appears to proove the contamination was raw human sewage. Fecal Coliform is bacteria found in warm blooded animals (including geese), however, E.Coli bacteria is only found in the human intestinal tract.

Mr. Nicoletti dismissed the geese droppings as a cause, espoused by the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, because the geese would not contribute to the readings he found, or the tell-tale stench of the Silver Lake contamination. The geese also arrived at the lake only after the contamination had already occurred -- according to White Plains Executive Officer Paul Wood.

At the “outfall,” of Silver Lake into the Mamaroneck River on Lake Street, the August 30 readings of the two samples taken were higher, and closer to the bacteria levels at which the County Department of Health would close the lake if it were a bathing beach.

Nudging Threshold at Mamaroneck River Outfall Still.

The readings, taken August 30, with results coming back Thursday, September 8, the first location near the Mamaroneck River outfall,  south of the Liberty Park Dock showed the Coliform Most Probable Number to be 1300 per 100ml (five times the level at which it would be closed), the Fecal Coliform’s Most Probable Number of 140 per 100ml (200 being the “closing threshold,” and the E.Coli Most Propable Number, 140 per 100ml (200, the “closing threshold). 

The second location near the outfall into the Mamaroneck River off the Liberty Park Dock, was: Coliform, 1100, Fecal Coliform, 230, and E. Coli, 230.  Beaches are closed by the County Health Department at from 200 to 300 bacteria levels, according to the White Plains DPW. Based on these results, Nicoletti has decided it is safe to reopen the area.

The "Outfall" of Silver Lake to the Mamaroneck River Monday, Labor Day, six days after the latest samples were taken August 30. Photo by WPCNR News.

Nicoletti said the algae would be dying off naturally as the nights got cooler. He said his department had removed some of the algae manually. He said adding fish to the lake would have taken more time in getting permits from the Department of Environmental Conservation than if the contamination was allowed to run its course, which it seems to be doing, he said, based on the latest readings.

The Tell-Tale Clue: Ammonia.

Mr. Nicoletti said he recognized the unmistakable stench of raw sewage, distinguished by its distinctive ammonia odor, (“I’ve smelled it enough to know it,” Nicoletti said) when it was first reported the day after the apocalyptic one hour cloudburst that drenched White Plains July 18.

Nicoletti said White Plains received 2.9 inches of rain in an hour. He is convinced, as the County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation have told WPCNR,  that the human sewage leakage came from a stormwater runoff from the Harrison sanitary sewer line on the northeast shore. He said that was where the algae blooms first appeared with a week of July 18.

Repairs Since Undertaken by Harrison.

Nicoletti revealed that Bob Wasp, Commissioner of Public Works, had told Nicoletti that Harrison has since conducted repairs to the manholes and portions of  the Harrison sewer line. Neither the Mayor of Harrison, Steve Malfitano, nor the Harrision Department of Public Works would comment on this situation last week.

The Probable Source.

Nicoletti attributed the human waste runoff to the Harrison sewer line being filled to capacity very quickly by the July 18 deluge, and under such pressure that raw sanitary sewer water overflowed the manholes and forced its way through bricks lining the sewer. Nicoletti said since the algae bloom first appeared on the Northeast shore and White Plains sanitary sewer lines are south of the lake, the Harrison sewer line was the only logical source. Nicoletti said White Plains sewer lines were tested and found secure.

The County Health Department conducted dye tests on the county sewer line, the Harrison sewer line, and the White Plains sewer lines, and they all turned up negative, showing no leakage from the sewer lines (under normal circumstances).  It could not be determined if the County Health Department dye tests were tested under pressure comparable to the pressures exerted on the sewer lines July 18.

1600 Levels July 28.

. Nevertheless, the samples Mr. Nicoletti’s department took July 28, analyzed by the County Department of Labs, showed e.coli, coliform and fecal coliform levels five times in excess of the level (1,600 Most Probable Number) where a swimming beach is closed. Nicoletti closed the White Plains side of the lake  July 19 after he detected what for him was the unmistakable smell of raw sewage in the lake, that had been reported by residents. The level did not go down until last week (August 30), so the sewage has been contaminating the lake and the Mamaroneck River for approximately six weeks.

Remedies. 

Nicoletti said he considered putting copper sulphate in the lake to purify the waters, but decided against it, because of the possibility of a fish kill or worse.

He said the six week heat wave of consistent high temperatures and very little rain encouraged the algae bloom, which by WPCNR estimate covers about 40% of the lake surface. Nicoletti said the lake contamination levels had existed on a consistent high level, over 1600 Mean Probable Number for about 5 weeks, before their test of August 30, showed acceptable bacteria levels. Only one area of the lake still tests high and that is at the outfall.

Asked how much sewage went into the lake, July 18, Nicoletti said, “I don’t know if I can quantify it, but it was a large volume of (contaminated) water, there was a significant amount getting in there.”

Nicoletti said the algae was a direct result of the raw sewage contamination. He also said there was “rooted algae” growing up from the lake bottom. He said he had never seen algae contamination to this extent in the lake in the past. No baseline bacteria counts were taken when the city leased the Liberty Park area and the lake from the county in fall 2002.

Communication Lines.

Nicoletti explained the city would not notify the New York Department of Environmental Protection, that it was the County Health Department’s job to keep DEC in the loop.

Asked if the city felt the pond was a West Nile mosquito breeding ground, Nicoletti said he did not think so, because the lake was flowing water. He said the county could test for mosquitos as a precaution, but he was not going to request it.

He said he did not see the algae would be a recurring problem next year.

The Legal Issue Will Not Go Away. Ryan to Press.

City Executive Officer Paul Wood denied Thursday that County Legislator Bill Ryan had ever contacted the city on the Silver Lake contamination, and repeated the city contention that the city is not responsible for the water quality of the lake.

Westchester County Executive Bill Ryan clarified the County’s legal position Friday to WPCNR, saying White Plains was still responsible for the quality of the lake. Asked if Ryan had reviewed the lease with the Westchester County Attorney, Ryan said, “pretty much – I spoke personally with the county attorney (on the terms of the lease).”

Ryan said White Plains peformance on the lake water contamination was still “totally unsatisfactory and I will be following up on this next week with the city.”

This week the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Westchester County Department of Health said they had no idea whether the contamination consisted of human sewage, but attributed the algae bloom to runoff from the sewers. Neither agency expressed knowledge of the nature of the contamination, the E. Coli bacteria, the fecal coliform. The DEC attributed it to geese droppings. However, the geese arrived at the Liberty Park after the contamination of algae had developed, according to the White Plains Department of Public Works.