What’s in NYC’s water? City council proposes monitoring for microplastics, discolored taps.

New York City is home to what many call the “champagne” of drinking water – that is, until it turns brown or tiny plastic particles are detected within it.

City lawmakers are now considering three new bills that would require the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct further monitoring of the water supply and make sure residents know when things are amiss.

Though the agency’s scientists already test city water hundreds of times each day, from its source upstate all the way to street-side tap water sampling stations, the DEP states that its current monitoring focuses on water quality indicators, like chlorine levels, pH, and the presence of bacteria.

The new bills would require routine testing for microplastics, or tiny plastic particles; expand COVID-19 wastewater testing; and ensure the department alerts community leaders if any city operations or construction could result in discolored or low-pressure water coming from taps. Each bill was introduced on Friday to the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection.

The aim, according to Councilmember Sandy Nurse, is to strengthen the city’s water testing apparatus to make sure lawmakers and residents have the information they need to continue to trust that the tap water is safe to drink across the five boroughs.

“The goal is we should just test – are there microplastics in our drinking water, yes or no?” said Nurse, who represents Bushwick and surrounding north Brooklyn neighborhoods and is the lead sponsor on the microplastics monitoring bill. “We can later decide what is a safe level, if that's what we want to decide, but we can't have those conversations without confirming whether or not it's there.”

Scientists don’t yet fully understand the health consequences of microplastics on human bodies. In 2019, the World Health Organization found there was no acute health risk to humans from consuming microplastics, but called for further study to find out more amid the rising use of plastics worldwide.

What researchers do know is that microplastics are ubiquitous in New York City's waterways, according to Jeremy Cherson, senior manager of government affairs at Riverkeeper, a local clean water advocacy organization. Microplastics are created when bags, straws and other plastic materials enter the environment and break apart due to heat exposure, or when tiny plastics in everyday items — like cosmetics and clothing — contaminate land and waterways. Microplastics are pervasive beyond water, too — they can be found in the air, in rain, and can rub off from other materials humans come in contact with, Cherson said. He added that microplastic particles can also wind up in the human body via plastic tea bags and plastic food wrappers.

“Every time you wash or dry your polyester, those microplastic particles go into the air, they wash into the stormwater system to a wastewater treatment plant, and ultimately out into the Hudson, the East River, [and] Long Island Sound,” Cherson said.

Though it’s probable that some microplastics have wound up in city drinking water, Cherson said, tap water is likely not the primary source of plastic exposure for New Yorkers.

“You are more likely to be getting exposure to microplastics through your day-to-day life because plastic has become so pervasive,” Cherson said. “It permeates almost every facet of daily existence.”

The legislation would ensure that New Yorkers know how much plastic is in their drinking water as a first step to curbing any possible risk, Nurse said.

“We're seeing a proliferation of plastics and different types of plastics in everything,” Nurse said. “If we find that it's in our water, that to me would allow us to then hold producers accountable. It could help us create better waste systems. It could help prevent certain types of plastics that are known to break down faster than others not be sold or not be used in certain products.”

If the bill passes, the city would follow California’s move last year to launch a statewide testing protocol for monitoring microplastics in drinking water.

Other councilmembers are also looking to build on the city’s approach to water testing, and make the information more accessible to residents.

A bill introduced by Councilmember Keith Powers, who represents parts of Midtown and the Upper East Side, would expand the wastewater testing program already in place to trace the presence of COVID-19 in city sewage and make it permanent.

“We all saw the importance of real-time public health data throughout the pandemic,” said Powers, adding that the bill would provide a more transparent and legible way for New Yorkers to read the results of the city’s wastewater testing.

A third bill, introduced by Councilmember James F. Gennaro, who represents parts of central Queens and chairs the environmental protection committee, would require the DEP to alert relevant community boards and district offices ahead of any department work that could lead to discolored water or the reduction or loss of water pressure.