CURB Providing Leadership in Local Water Protection Efforts

by Ryan Palmer - Director of CURB

Did you know CURB is a founding member of the Westchester Coalition for Clean Water, a new advocacy group committed to achieving, maintaining, and protecting clean water in all of Westchester’s waterways for all community members? 

Formed in 2024, the coalition seeks to push for greater actions by Westchester County and local governments on issues including water pollution from our sewers, flooding from stormwater, safe fishing and shellfishing and increasing access to our waterfronts. WCCW is calling for all waterways in Westchester to be clean and healthy, free of trash and sewage, and flood resilient within 10 years.

In addition, CURB Director Ryan Palmer is Chairing a Yonkers-focused work group of the coalition. In recent months the work group has met with leadership from the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, City of Yonkers Engineering, and NYS DEC Bureau of Water Compliance. 

In an early win, we recently learned that in 2026 NYS DEC is going to initiate a full technical review of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit for the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant, which has been overdue for years. In large part due to our advocacy, the state is initiating this review even though the plant was previously 85th in line in the state’s ranked list of permits to review. 

The work group includes representation from CURB, Riverkeeper, Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club, Groundwork Hudson Valley, Hudson River Community Association, United Yonkers, Bronx River Alliance, and the Beczak Environmental Education Center. 

For more information on the WCCW including timely alerts on all reported sewage discharges in the county follow on Facebook or Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/wc_clean_water

https://www.facebook.com/westchester.coalition.for.clean.water/