Trees, rain gardens key to controlling sewage overflowPosted by Readers' Page August 19, 2009, Categories: Letters
Angela Madonia/The Post-Standard
CORNELL COOPERATIVE Extension workers and volunteers work on a rain garden in Skaneateles last summer.
To the Editor:
The Partnership for Onondaga Creek fully supports the county's efforts to use green infrastructure, sewer separation and storage to avoid having to build any more swirler plants. In response to Peter E. Moffa's Aug. 12 letter, Mr. Moffa is missing the point.
First, it is important that everyone understand that green infrastructure is not going to solve the combined sewer overflow problems single-handedly, nor has that been proposed. Green infrastructure will, however, delay and reduce the volume of "peak flow" -- the point that overwhelms our current system. It makes it possible to design further "gray" capacity -- such as underground storage -- to capture the increased volume of water in our sewers and send it to the Metro treatment plant after the peak has passed.
We taxpayers have invested a lot of money in Metro's upgrades over the past decade. The reduction in ammonia and phosphorous that was formerly getting into Onondaga Lake and mucking up the ecosystem is applauded. It is important to understand that Mr. Moffa's swirler only treats for bacteria, and poorly at that. All of the phosphorous and ammonia pollution continues to go into Onondaga Creek.
Thankfully, the Midland sewage plant is at "50 percent capacity" as Mr. Moffa says, so it doesn't overflow very often, and most of the sewage goes on to Metro for full treatment.
The 12-foot-in-diameter pipe -- big enough to drive a bus through -- that he wanted to put alongside Onondaga Creek to "complete" the project, resulting in the disruption of 60 more homes, is currently on hold, in favor of green infrastructure.
Rain gardens, street trees, green roofs and other green infrastructure designs not only reduce runoff and pollution, they help beautify our community. Their simple presence helps educate people about how we can care for the watersheds we live in. As shown by Sustainable South Bronx's projects, installing green infrastructure can provide good jobs and pride in our community, both of which are badly needed in Syracuse.
Swirlers cost more than $120 million apiece. There are three more planned, according to the Amended Consent Judgment: one in Armory Square and two on Harbor Brook in Environmental Justice communities. Let's invest that money in ways that are of benefit to a community, instead of a stigma.
So, we must say, Mr. Moffa, that your design and the placement of the Midland plant in a residential community stink. We should know; you built it in our neighborhood.
Lindsay Speer, Richard Vallejo, Vernell Bentley, Elmore Davis, Tarki Heath, Louise Poindexter, Joanne Stevens and Aggie Lane
