All topics / Infrastructure and Sustainability
Department of Environmental Protection
Established in 1977 when the City consolidated its water supply, wastewater treatment, and pollution-control functions into a single agency, the Department of Environmental Protection now delivers roughly 1 billion gallons of drinking water a day to more than 9 million people through a system of 19 reservoirs, 3 controlled lakes, and about 6,600 miles of water mains, tunnels, and aqueducts. DEP also operates the city's 14 wastewater treatment plants and enforces its air, noise, and hazardous-materials codes, making it steward of one of the largest municipal water systems in the country.
What's working
- How long is the sewer backup resolution time?: 2 hr 54 min — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passed
- What percent of street segments with recurring confirmed sewer backups in the last 12 months?: 0.2% — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passed
- What percent of in-City samples meeting water quality standards for coliform bacteria?: 100% — right at target
- and 10 more below
What's getting worse
- What percent of estimated bills?: 28.3% — increasing as meter devices age; DEP has a 3-year replacement program underway
- How many facility security checks are there?: 177,749 checks — decreasing, tied to a persistent staffing shortage in DEP's police force
- How long does it take to respond to hazardous material complaints and make safe?: 2.3 days — increasing for a couple of distinct reasons; a new triage system has since cut response times
- and 3 more below
Critical indicators
With a numeric target
What percent of in-City samples meeting water quality standards for coliform bacteria?
100%Right at target
What percent of in-City samples meeting water quality standards for coliform bacteria?
100%Right at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 100% | 100% |
| FY23 | 100% | 100% |
| FY24 | 100% | 100% |
| FY25 | 100% | 100% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 100% | 100% |
100% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (right at the target), and it has stayed essentially flat over the past 3 years of reported data.
What percent of water resource recovery facility effluent meeting State Pollutant Discharge Elimination Standards?
99.7%Misses target by 0.3%
What percent of water resource recovery facility effluent meeting State Pollutant Discharge Elimination Standards?
99.7%Misses target by 0.3%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 99.7% | 100% |
| FY23 | 99.9% | 100% |
| FY24 | 99.9% | 100% |
| FY25 | 99.7% | 100% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 99.7% | 100% |
99.7% in FY26 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (0.3% below the 100% target), and it has stayed essentially flat over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
New York City's first wastewater treatment plant opened at Coney Island in 1892 to protect its beaches, but serious citywide sewage treatment did not take hold until the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 mandated it. The Newtown Creek plant, originally built in 1967, is the largest of DEP's 14 wastewater treatment plants and underwent a major expansion completed in 2014 that more than doubled its wet-weather processing capacity. By 2011, all 14 city plants were certified as meeting the Clean Water Act's secondary treatment standards, a marked change from decades earlier when the city's harbor waters were far more polluted.
Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant - Wikipedia, DEP Certifies That Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Is Meeting Clean Water Act Secondary Treatment
What percent of broken and inoperative hydrants?
0.4%Beats target by 0.4%
What percent of broken and inoperative hydrants?
0.4%Beats target by 0.4%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 0.3% | 1% |
| FY23 | 0.4% | 1% |
| FY24 | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| FY25 | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 0.4% | 0.8% |
0.4% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (0.4% below the 0.8% target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
How long is the sewer backup resolution time?
2 hr 54 min — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passedBeats target by 4 hr 6 min
How long is the sewer backup resolution time?
2 hr 54 min — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passedBeats target by 4 hr 6 min
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 15 hr 42 min | 7 hr |
| FY23 | 3 hr 23 min | 7 hr |
| FY24 | 3 hr 12 min | 7 hr |
| FY25 | 2 hr 24 min | 7 hr |
| FY26 (YTD) | 2 hr 54 min | 7 hr |
The extreme FY22 figure (nearly 16 hours to resolve a sewer backup, versus roughly 3 hours in surrounding years) was driven by the record-breaking rainfall from Hurricanes Henri and Ida that fiscal year, which overwhelmed crews responding to sewer backups and clogged catch basins citywide. DEP's own reporting says resolution times returned to normal once that unusually severe rain event passed.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DEP, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report
What percent of estimated bills?
28.3% — increasing as meter devices age; DEP has a 3-year replacement program underwayMisses target by 24.3%
What percent of estimated bills?
28.3% — increasing as meter devices age; DEP has a 3-year replacement program underwayMisses target by 24.3%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 3.5% | 4% |
| FY23 | 4.8% | 4% |
| FY24 | 7.9% | 4% |
| FY25 | 17.5% | 4% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 28.3% | 4% |
The share of water bills based on an estimate rather than an actual meter reading climbed steadily for several years — DEP attributed the early increases to pandemic-era supply chain shortages of meter transmission units, and more recently to an aging fleet of Automated Meter Reading (AMR) devices that increasingly fail to transmit readings. In December 2024, DEP began a three-year, $72 million program to replace over 600,000 AMR devices citywide, which it expects will gradually reduce reliance on estimated bills.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DEP, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report, The Rockaway Times, "New Yorkers Face Estimated Water Bills as They Await Meter Upgrades"
Why this is tracked
In the 1980s, following the fiscal crisis of the 1970s when investors were reluctant to buy bonds backed by the City's shaky general fund, New York restructured its water and sewer system's finances. A 1985 lease agreement placed water and sewer revenue under the independent NYC Water Board, dedicated exclusively to system operations, maintenance, and debt service on water finance bonds, rather than the city's general fund. That is why DEP's billing and collection function exists as a self-sustaining system: the rates it sets and collects are what pay for the water infrastructure New Yorkers depend on.
History of NYC water and sewer system financial structure - NYC Council, NYC Water Board
What percent of air quality complaints responded to within seven days?
99%Beats target by 11%
What percent of air quality complaints responded to within seven days?
99%Beats target by 11%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 99% | 88% |
| FY23 | 99% | 88% |
| FY24 | 99% | 88% |
| FY25 | 98% | 88% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 99% | 88% |
99% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (11% above the 88% target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
How many days does it take to close noise complaints?
5.4 daysBeats target by 1.6 days
How many days does it take to close noise complaints?
5.4 daysBeats target by 1.6 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 4.1 days | 7 days |
| FY23 | 4.1 days | 7 days |
| FY24 | 5.4 days | 7 days |
| FY25 | 5.7 days | 7 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 5.4 days | 7 days |
5.4 days in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (1.6 days below the 7 days target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
How long does it take to restore water to customers after confirming breaks?
3 hr 48 minBeats target by 2 hr 12 min
How long does it take to restore water to customers after confirming breaks?
3 hr 48 minBeats target by 2 hr 12 min
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 4 hr 18 min | 6 hr |
| FY23 | 4 hr 34 min | 6 hr |
| FY24 | 3 hr 47 min | 6 hr |
| FY25 | 3 hr 47 min | 6 hr |
| FY26 (YTD) | 3 hr 48 min | 6 hr |
3 hr 48 min in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (2 hr 12 min below the 6 hr target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
How long does it take to repair or replace high-priority broken or inoperative hydrants?
1.8 daysBeats target by 3.2 days
How long does it take to repair or replace high-priority broken or inoperative hydrants?
1.8 daysBeats target by 3.2 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 2.1 days | 5 days |
| FY23 | 2.2 days | 5 days |
| FY24 | 1.7 days | 5 days |
| FY25 | 1.6 days | 5 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 1.8 days | 5 days |
1.8 days in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (3.2 days below the 5 days target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
What percent of total revenue as percent of target?
105.7%Beats target by 5.7%
What percent of total revenue as percent of target?
105.7%Beats target by 5.7%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 107% | 100% |
| FY23 | 106.7% | 100% |
| FY24 | 100.8% | 100% |
| FY25 | 109.6% | 100% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 105.7% | 100% |
105.7% in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (5.7% above the 100% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
In the 1980s, following the fiscal crisis of the 1970s when investors were reluctant to buy bonds backed by the City's shaky general fund, New York restructured its water and sewer system's finances. A 1985 lease agreement placed water and sewer revenue under the independent NYC Water Board, dedicated exclusively to system operations, maintenance, and debt service on water finance bonds, rather than the city's general fund. That is why DEP's billing and collection function exists as a self-sustaining system: the rates it sets and collects are what pay for the water infrastructure New Yorkers depend on.
History of NYC water and sewer system financial structure - NYC Council, NYC Water Board
How many days does it take to close air quality complaints?
2.9 daysBeats target by 4.1 days
How many days does it take to close air quality complaints?
2.9 daysBeats target by 4.1 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 2.8 days | 7 days |
| FY23 | 2.4 days | 7 days |
| FY24 | 2.9 days | 7 days |
| FY25 | 3.3 days | 7 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 2.9 days | 7 days |
2.9 days in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (4.1 days below the 7 days target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
How many days does it take to close asbestos complaints?
0.7 daysBeats target by 0.3 days
How many days does it take to close asbestos complaints?
0.7 daysBeats target by 0.3 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 0.6 days | 1 day |
| FY23 | 0.5 days | 1 day |
| FY24 | 0.4 days | 1 day |
| FY25 | 0.6 days | 1 day |
| FY26 (YTD) | 0.7 days | 1 day |
0.7 days in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (0.3 days below the 1 day target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
How many facility security checks are there?
177,749 checks — decreasing, tied to a persistent staffing shortage in DEP's police forceMisses target by 107,251 checks
How many facility security checks are there?
177,749 checks — decreasing, tied to a persistent staffing shortage in DEP's police forceMisses target by 107,251 checks
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above. The dashed marker projects a full-year estimate at the current year-to-date pace.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 304,189 checks | 275,000 checks |
| FY23 | 303,993 checks | 275,000 checks |
| FY24 | 298,123 checks | 285,000 checks |
| FY25 | 289,094 checks | 285,000 checks |
| FY26 (YTD) | 177,749 checks | 285,000 checks |
| FY26 (projected) | ~236,999 checks |
The steady decline in facility security checks tracks a persistent staffing shortage in DEP's police force, which patrols the City's water supply infrastructure. DEP has reported for several years that officer attrition has outpaced hiring (its officers' union contract expired in 2017), and the sharpest recent drop coincides with 31 recruits being in the police academy — and therefore not yet available for patrol duty — pushing the effective vacancy rate to 28% in the first part of FY26.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DEP, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report
What percent of street segments with recurring confirmed sewer backups in the last 12 months?
0.2% — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passedBeats target by 0.4%
What percent of street segments with recurring confirmed sewer backups in the last 12 months?
0.2% — decreasing since the record rainfall of Hurricanes Henri and Ida passedBeats target by 0.4%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| FY23 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| FY24 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| FY25 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Like DEP's sewer backup resolution time, this indicator spiked in FY22 because of the record rainfall from Hurricanes Henri and Ida, which pushed far more street segments into repeat sewer-backup territory that year. DEP's reporting shows the rate returning to its normal, low range once that unusually severe rain event was behind them.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DEP, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report
How long is the leak resolution time (days) (City infrastructure only)?
9 daysBeats target by 3 days
How long is the leak resolution time (days) (City infrastructure only)?
9 daysBeats target by 3 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 6.7 days | 12 days |
| FY23 | 9.7 days | 12 days |
| FY24 | 8.8 days | 12 days |
| FY25 | 7.9 days | 12 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 9 days | 12 days |
9 days in FY26 — met the City's own target for this indicator (3 days below the 12 days target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
What percent of backlog of catch basin repairs?
2.4%Misses target by 1.4%
What percent of backlog of catch basin repairs?
2.4%Misses target by 1.4%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 2.4% | 1% |
| FY23 | 2.9% | 1% |
| FY24 | 2.9% | 1% |
| FY25 | 2.9% | 1% |
| FY26 (YTD) | 2.4% | 1% |
2.4% in FY26 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (1.4% above the 1% target), and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
How long does it take to respond to hazardous material complaints and make safe?
2.3 days — increasing for a couple of distinct reasons; a new triage system has since cut response timesMisses target by 0.8 days
How long does it take to respond to hazardous material complaints and make safe?
2.3 days — increasing for a couple of distinct reasons; a new triage system has since cut response timesMisses target by 0.8 days
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 0.8 days | 85 days |
| FY23 | 0.3 days | 85 days |
| FY24 | 1 day | 1.5 days |
| FY25 | 2.5 days | 1.5 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 2.3 days | 1.5 days |
Response times worsened for two distinct reasons in successive years: in FY24, DEP pointed to a small number of anonymous chemical-odor complaints that lacked enough location or callback detail to verify quickly, and in FY25 to a rise in complaints tied to damaged lithium-ion batteries combined with a staffing shortage in DEP's hazardous materials unit. DEP has since rolled out a new triage system with other City agencies that it credits with cutting response times substantially in early FY26.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DEP, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report, DEP, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
Without a numeric target
How many air quality complaints were received?
7,221 complaints
How many air quality complaints were received?
7,221 complaints
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above. The dashed marker projects a full-year estimate at the current year-to-date pace.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 12,326 complaints |
| FY23 | 12,306 complaints |
| FY24 | 10,761 complaints |
| FY25 | 9,723 complaints |
| FY26 (YTD) | 7,221 complaints |
| FY26 (projected) | ~9,628 complaints |
7,221 complaints in FY26 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, a thick smog of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide blanketed New York City for days; a 1967 statistical analysis attributed roughly 168 deaths to the episode, one of the worst air pollution disasters in U.S. history. The event galvanized the nascent environmental movement and helped push Congress toward the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. DEP now enforces the City's own Air Pollution Control Code and Noise Code and responds to thousands of hazardous materials incidents a year, including asbestos violations and lithium-ion battery fires, carrying that public-health mandate forward at the local level.
1966 New York City smog - Wikipedia, DEP: Air Pollution & Regulations
How much green infrastructure combined sewer overflow reduction is there?
807
How much green infrastructure combined sewer overflow reduction is there?
807
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | Not available |
| FY23 | Not available |
| FY24 | 680 |
| FY25 | 807 |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
807 in FY25 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended toward improvement over the past 1 year of reported data.
Why this is tracked
New York City has one of the largest combined sewer systems in the country, with 398 outfalls that discharge an estimated 18 billion gallons of mixed sewage and stormwater into local waterways annually during rainstorms. After the EPA found the City in violation of the Clean Water Act in 2005, DEP established a citywide green infrastructure program in 2010, and a 2012 agreement with the state committed the City to a hybrid green-and-gray approach. Under a 2023 consent order, DEP must cut combined sewer overflow volume by 1.67 billion gallons a year by 2040, backed by $3.5 billion in green infrastructure investment.
NYS DEC and NYC DEP Announce Agreement to Invest $3.5 Billion, NYSDEC: New York City CSO Program