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Q&A
Resources and planning for Rikers Island wastewater infrastructure
1:03:31
ยท
78 sec
Council Member Nurse presses for information on DEP's resources and planning for the potential Rikers Island wastewater facility. Commissioner Aggarwala explains the current status and timeline of the project.
- Aggarwala states that DEP is currently waiting to see how the situation evolves
- Nurse expresses concern about the lack of active planning and emphasizes the importance of starting the process
- The commissioner acknowledges that the study envisions a 20-year process for such a facility
- Nurse advocates for dedicating resources to make this a priority for DEP and DCAS
Sandy Nurse
1:03:31
dedicated to that next step if it's not a, you know, of determining what is the right type of infrastructure that will support the broader goals of wastewater recovery or storm water cleaning or whatever it's called?
Rohit Aggarwala
1:03:48
No.
1:03:49
Right now as I said, we are waiting to see what evolves.
Sandy Nurse
1:03:54
What does that mean, commissioner?
Rohit Aggarwala
1:03:55
That means we're waiting.
Sandy Nurse
1:03:58
Priority for you?
Rohit Aggarwala
1:03:59
I'm sorry?
Sandy Nurse
1:03:59
Is it a priority?
Rohit Aggarwala
1:04:01
Look I think for DEP if, I mean, you know, whether it's Rikers Island or any land but I don't see any other land in that part of the city.
1:04:09
Our operations would be dramatically improved if we had space for an additional BWT facility but it is not something that we are working on right now.
Sandy Nurse
1:04:20
Okay.
1:04:21
Well we know that the facilities are gonna close at some point and that island's gonna be abandoned and that it needs to move towards uses for sustainability.
1:04:33
I think it makes sense to begin that process of planning because it's gonna be expensive and it's gonna take a long time.
1:04:40
I mean how long does a wastewater recovery facility of any of the kinds that you described take to become operational?
Rohit Aggarwala
1:04:46
And the study did envision something like a twenty year process.