CROTON ON THE HUDSON – The advisory against swimming and boating in a section of the Hudson River in Westchester County has been lifted. This comes after days of restricted water activities due to a sewage release north of New York City during essential repair work.
The Westchester County Department of Health issued a statement on Friday advising the public to avoid recreational activities from Peekskill to Yonkers while repairs were conducted on a sewer force main. This led to the temporary closure of Croton Park Beach and Philise Manor Beach.
As of Monday, the county announced that swimming could safely resume at these beaches and that the water was once again deemed safe for boating.
The advisory was initially implemented when the county’s Department of Environmental Facilities reported a break in a 24-inch cast iron sewer force main in Ossining. The repair process involved excavating the damaged section of the pipe, removing it, replacing it, and then encasing the new section in concrete.
During the repair period, partially treated sewage was discharged at Croton River Road in Ossining. The health department indicated that up to a million gallons of this sewage were expected to be released into the Hudson River daily until repairs were completed.
Fortunately, the repairs were finished by Friday evening, limiting the sewage discharge to less than a day. However, the advisory remained in effect until Monday afternoon — nearly three full days post-repair — to ensure sufficient tidal movement had diluted the partially treated sewage adequately.
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