Korin Tangtrakul talks about the Open Sewer Atlas NYC -- a GIS exploration and community planning tool to unlock the mysteries of the NYC sewer system. 0

1. Josh Eichen and Korin Tangtrakul
GeoNYC – 2/9/2015

2. LOVE STINKS!
Project History
Sewers 101
Scope of Work and Process
Final Products!
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Introduction
Understanding the NYC Sewer System

3. HURRICANE SANDY – RED HOOK
Project History: Red Hook
• Street flooding and sewer
backups impacted this area
• Through stakeholder
interviews, came to realize
these issues were not
isolated to Hurricane Sandy!

4. CONSISTENT ISSUES IN RED HOOK
Project History: Red Hook

5. CONSISTENT ISSUES IN RED HOOK
Project History: Red Hook
Investigation of
ways to validate
these complaints
led to 311 data

6. CONSISTENT ISSUES IN RED HOOK
Project History: Red Hook
Overlays with
topography and
major sewer
infrastructure led
to a more
complete picture
of the way the
system functions

7. SEPARATE SEWER SYSTEM
Sewers 101

8. COMBINED SEWER SYSTEM
Sewers 101

9. Sewers 101
70%
About of the city’s sewershed
area is combined

10. Red Hook Sub-sewersheds
Open Sewer Atlas NYC, 2014 openseweratlas.tumblr.com
RED HOOK SUB-SEWERSHEDS
Sewers 101
To better
understand the
sewer system, we
look at issues at
the “sewershed”
level and the “sub-
sewershed” level

11. SEWERSHED ISSUES
Sewers 101

12. WATER QUALITY IMPACT
Sewers 101
CSOs brings excessive levels of nutrients causing algal blooms. When the nutrient load
stops, the algae die and decompose, taking up dissolved oxygen in the water column in
the process. Water
bodies with low
levels of dissolved
oxygen cannot
sustain aquatic life.

13. Open Sewer Atlas Project Scope
LACK OF DATA!

14. WHAT IS OPEN SEWER ATLAS NYC?
Open Sewer Atlas NYC is an
open data source for sewer
infrastructure and sub-
sewersheds or drainage areas
of interceptor sewer lines for
the priority sewersheds of
CSO-problem areas.
Open Sewer Atlas Project Scope
An exercise of GIS analysis to demystify New York City’s sewer system

15. WHAT IS OPEN SEWER ATLAS NYC?
Open Sewer Atlas Project Scope
Following the City’s Long Term Control
Plans, OSANYC focuses on 5 waterbodies:
Gowanus
Newtown Creek
Alley Creek
Bronx River
Jamaica Bay
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16. Open Sewer Atlas Process
PROCESS
• Outreach to CBO’s
• Meetings and site visits in areas of interest
• Feedback on project
• Research sewersheds through publicly
available documents
• Production of materials

17. FINDINGS: GOWANUS CANAL
0 0.5 10.25
Red Hook Sub-sewersheds
Open Sewer Atlas NYC, 2014
Source: NYC DCP, DEP
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openseweratlas.tumblr.com
Sewer Type
Interceptor
Sub-sewershed
Bond Lorraine
Columbia St Interceptor
North Sewer
0 0.5 10.25
Miles
Red Hook Sub-sewersheds with Flushing Tunnel Upgrade
Open Sewer Atlas NYC, 2014
Source: NYC DCP, DEP
[
openseweratlas.tumblr.com
Sewer Type
Interceptor
Flushing Tunnel
Sub-sewershed
Bond Lorraine
Columbia St Interceptor
Columbia St Interceptor addition
North Sewer
Open Sewer Atlas Process

18. NEWTOWN CREEK
• Treats 310 million gallons of
wastewater a day!
• Serves part of Manhattan,
Brooklyn and Queens
• Anaerobic digesters convert
sewage to energy
• Romantic Valentines Day tours
Open Sewer Atlas Process
The largest wastewater treatment plant

19. Open Sewer Atlas Process

20. FINDINGS: NEWTOWN CREEK
The drainage area to the head of the creek is 4,000 acres! Is has the least circulation
and discharges about 900 million gallons of CSO annually.
Open Sewer Atlas Process

21. PROCESS: BRONX RIVER
Bronx River Alliance and
Rocking the Boat are leading
education sessions and
awareness campaigns about the
Bronx River
Open Sewer Atlas Process

22. FINDINGS: BRONX RIVER
A citizen science study from EPA
funding revealed:
• High enterococci levels
after rainfall
• High enterococci levels at
the West Chester county
border during dry weather
• Areas of low dissolved
oxygen
Open Sewer Atlas Process

23. FINAL PRODUCTS!
OSANYC Deliverables

24. OSANYC Deliverables
Drainage Areas

25. OSANYC Deliverables
311 Complaints

26. OSANYC Deliverables
Land Use

27. OSANYC Deliverables
FINAL PRODUCTS!

28. OSANYC WORKSHOP
OSANYC Deliverables

29. QUESTIONS?
OPEN SEWER ATLAS NYC