Manhattan College To Host 6th Annual Bronx Council For Environmental Quality Water Conference

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College will host the sixth annual Bronx Council for Environmental Quality (BCEQ) sixth annual Water Conference on Thursday, March 15 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the Leo Engineering Building. The conference is free and open to the public.

This year’s BCEQ conference will focus on the impact of overflows from New York City’s combined sewer system into the Harlem River. It is the fifth time that BCEQ and its partners are highlighting the Harlem River in an attempt to engage stakeholders in the future of the waterfront in the Bronx.

The Harlem River was the focus of a two-year study in which Manhattan College participated.  The study recommended increasing public access to this vital urban waterway and a return to the days when boating regattas and public promenades along the shoreline were commonplace.

“There are too many combined sewer outfalls along the river that result in unacceptable levels of E. Coli and Enterococcus, pathogens that can cause serious health effects including diverticulitis and meningitis,” says Walter Matystik, Manhattan College assistant provost and an environmental engineer who participated in the study.

Matystik recommended that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection focus on the Harlem River. His recommendations included adding water quality sampling stations, including the effects of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on pathogens as part of the Clean Water Act’s mandated long-term control plans, and setting a target to upgrade the River’s classification to support bathing and fishing.

“This can be done with conventional technology,” Matystik says. “The Harlem River’s future doesn’t have to be one of shoreline brownfield sites and limited public access. Its glory days can be restored.”

Those wishing to attend the conference can R.S.V.P by calling (718) 324-4461 or e-mailing HarlemRiver2004@aol.com. The Leo Engineering Building at Manhattan College is located at 3825 Corlear Avenue, just north of 238th Street in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line.  It is accessible by MTA subway line 1, or the Van Cortlandt Park exits off of I-87/Major Deegan Expressway.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering. For more information about Manhattan College, visit www.manhattan.edu.