In October of 2023, NYSDEC amended its water quality standards to include criteria for secondary contact recreation in response to an increase of secondary recreational use of the New York Harbor. Following this amendment, IEC introduced a New York Harbor water quality monitoring program to assess Class SB and I water bodies impacted by the new criteria. This project is funded by NYSDEC through the Clean Water Act Section 604 (b) Water Quality Planning Grant. Ten sites were selected that are lacking bacteriological monitoring, near public access points, near potential environmental justice areas, in waterbodies where data indicate the waterbodies are at the  threshold of being listed (or delisted) from the 303(d) list for impaired waters, and/or where wet-weather may be more likely to impact water quality. The data generated by this program will help assess whether the selected water bodies will attain the proposed recreational contact criteria for enterococcus and report fecal indicator bacteria concentration data. It may also inform decisions for wet weather limited use water designations. Data must meet or exceed criteria for their intended use during times of dry weather and have limited exceedances during wet weather.

In the program’s pilot year of 2024, the Interstate Environmental Commission collected and analyzed surface water samples for fecal indicator bacteria weekly from its first run in July through until October, as well as measured field parameters for dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and pH using a multi-parameter sonde concurrently with collection. This included ten Class SB or I sites along the East River, Hudson River, Gowanus Bay, Coney Island Creek, and lower New York Harbor. In 2025, this program will span the entire recreational season (May-September). Data collected by IEC will be checked for quality and uploaded to WQX.