New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Statewide Sewage Disposal, Water Pollution, and Discharge Permit Files
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
The series consists of waste water sewage disposal files, including records on state inspection and regulation of sewage treatment
facilities and projects and efforts to control water pollution resulting from unsanitary disposal of waste by corporate and
private entities.
Creator:
Title:
Statewide sewage disposal, water pollution, and discharge permit files
Quantity:
Inclusive Dates:
1900-1975
Series Number:
A1117
Arrangement
Alphabetical by county and therein alphabetical by name of city, town, or village.
Scope and Content Note
The series consists of waste water sewage disposal files, including records on state inspection and regulation of sewage treatment
facilities and projects and efforts to control water pollution resulting from unsanitary disposal of waste by corporate and
private entities.
The records span many decades during which responsibility for monitoring and regulating water pollution and waste management
resided with the Department of Health. Those responsibilities shifted to the Department of Environmental Conservation in 1970;
the department also took primary responsibility for state policy on water pollution and waste management.
The records were first produced by the Bureau of Water and Waste Management and by the Bureau of Municipal and Industrial
Wastes, which were both part of the Health Department. Since 1970 the files were produced by the Bureau of Municipal Operations.
Coverage is statewide.
The records deal with the disposal of waste materials into state waters; the operation, construction, and design of sewage
treatment systems; reporting on water testing and contamination; and attempts to prevent or abate pollution of state waters.
Furthermore, the series reflects the interaction of government at state and local levels, prompted by shared responsibility
for public health and the protection and development of natural resources. Public and environmental health issues overlap
in the areas of sanitation and facilities development. Public health laws prohibit the pollution of the waters of the state;
waters are classified and certain quality standards are set within each classification. Local boards of health make and publish
orders and regulations in support of the state sanitary code, and county health committees appoint sanitary inspectors.
Some of the files cover one institution over a long period of time. For example, the file for a county hospital begins with
the original discharge permits for the proposed hospital in 1932, and ends with the approval of plans and specifications relating
to installation of new steam boilers in the hospital in 1967. On the other hand, many of the records are permits dealing with
individual citizens' camps located on lakes or rivers. Other files are concerned with villages' plans for disposal of waste
material. The series also contains records on costs, reports and correspondence between state and local officials concerned
with waste removal.
The series includes: permits and completed applications for permits to discharge sewage or effluent into state waters; correspondence
setting down qualifying conditions to be met before issuance of a permit or approval of plans (e.g., relocation of water supply
intakes, problems with waste treatment works design); administrative and inter-agency correspondence on progress or problems
with various on-going projects; responses to letters of public complaint (e.g., discharge of raw sewage onto the ground, backup
of sewer waters, malodorous or unsanitary conditions on private property resulting from corporate or state sources); design
reports for proposed sewage treatment plants; maps showing locations of plant sites and stream or watershed areas; specifications
for sewage and waste treatment plants and acknowledgements of receipt of plans and specifications sent for review and approval;
conference memoranda and summaries of meetings attended by official department representatives; reports and administrative
memoranda on examination of plans for treatment and disposal systems and/or approval of amended plans; minutes or transcripts
of hearings concerning violations of sewage disposal regulations; memoranda on site visits, often in response to an emergency
situation (e.g., oil spill into a river, repair of a gas line at a treatment plant, possible flood situation during winter
thaw);
copies of legal complaints (filed against municipal governments and others) asking for continuance, revocation, or modification
of permits to discharge sewage because of violations of the public health law; case reports on water pollution abatement programs
and actions initiated or enforced in an attempt to halt or prevent contamination; results of water quality test samples and
stream surveys often made to determine possible pollution according to state stream classification standards; and files on
various industrial water pollution control projects, often including industrial surveys and related data (e.g., sludge formation
and discharge from paper mills, proper chicken waste disposal on a poultry ranch).
There are maps scattered throughout the records, most often blueprint, whiteprint, photostatic or printed copies attached
as exhibits or in support of sewage disposal plans. They present a variety of types from annotated topographic quadrangle
maps to hand drawn sketch maps furnished as part of a particular application process. Consequently, title, scale, legend and
preparer information varies. In some cases maps are dated, marked accepted by state officials, and/or signed by applicants
and consulting engineers.
The maps may show: the location of specific facility or construct (e.g., treatment tanks in a disposal plant) or the location
or distance of such a facility from the nearest body of ground water (sometimes with flow direction); existing or proposed
sewer lines, sewage treatment systems, sewage disposal works or storm water drainage sewers within localities; sources and
courses of water within a particular locality or topographic region, sometimes with the classification of the waters according
to the state system; the location of proposed connections to county trunk sewers or larger existing sewer lines; locations
of structures and/or obstructions (e.g., bridge crossing) in relation to sewer locations and the possible disturbance to existing
streets or other avenues by proposed work; and location of specific site/condition in an investigative report (e.g., the wells
in a complaint on salt waste in wells).
In addition to maps, the series also contains occasional photographs (sometimes annotated), general plans, cross sections,
sectional diagrams, and sketches of sewer related structures (e.g., gates, manholes).
Other Finding Aids
Available at Repository
Container list by county.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):
Detailed Description
Contents |
Box |
Accretion: A1117-80 |
Albany County |
1 |
Allegany and Broome Counties |
6 |
Chemung and Chenango Counties |
24 |
Clinton and Columbia Counties |
27 |
Franklin and Fulton Counties |
51 |
Genesee, Greene, and Hamilton Counties |
54 |
Herkimer and Jefferson Counties |
56 |
Jefferson and Livingston Counties |
58 |
Otsego and Rensselaer Counties |
116 |
St. Lawrence and Saratoga Counties |
125 |
Saratoga and Schenectady Counties |
127 |
Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, and Seneca Counties |
129 |
Westchester (Mamaroneck Project) |
172 |
Westchester (Mamaroneck Project) |
173 |
Orange County (Montgomery - Port Jervis) |
176 |
Montgomery County (Amsterdam - Canajoharie) |
177 |