Without sustained input from informed and engaged citizens like you and advocacy groups like SWIM Coalition, the health of our local waterways will not meet the city’s 2030 water quality goals nor federal health standards for safe contact.
Image Credit: Coastal Classroom, Charles Denson, Coney Island History Project, 2020
Dear Friends of Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (SWIM) Coalition, Thank you for your participation and interest in SWIM’s efforts to ensure that NYC’s waterways are healthy and thriving!
As we mark the 2021 International World Water Day and the SWIM Coalition's 14th anniversary, we are reaching out to you, our members and partners and friends, to ask for your support. We need your help to sustain SWIM’s critical work.
With your help, and through our platform of education, outreach, policy, and monitoring, SWIM will be able to continue our work to:
ensure that the City’s water quality improvement plans will truly make our waterways clean enough to access without getting exposed to high levels of CSO pollution,
encourage property owners throughout the City to embrace the use of green infrastructure to manage their stormwater runoff on-site,
keep you informed about city and state water quality improvement initiatives in a timely manner.
Combined sewer overflows (CSO) are the largest ongoing source of pollution in NYC’s waterways. Stormwater runoff from our densely developed landscape is the root cause of CSO pollution. The NYC Panel on Climate Change projects that precipitation in our region will increase throughout the 2020's by 1-8% and 4-11% by the 2050's - this means even more stormwater runoff volume will be generated in the years ahead.
If we are to meet NYC's 2030 goals and milestones for managing our stormwater runoff effectively and keep pace with the impacts of climate change, the City and State cannot afford to delay our critical green and grey infrastructure programs.
If you value the work we've done together over the last 14 years, we hope you'll make a donation of $50, $100, or even $250 today to support the continuation of our work to ensure fishable, swimmable waters and sustainable green infrastructure in NYC.
Image Credit: East River, Leah Rae, Riverkeeper
“SWIM is invaluable as a resource to, and amplifying the voices of, those who care about clean water in New York City. Time and again, I’ve seen SWIM help empower community leaders to advocate effectively for their local waterways, while also achieving citywide successes that lift all boats.”Larry Levine, Director, Urban Water Infrastructure & Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
