The Problem:  As of right now nearly 30 billion tons of waste go into the New York waterways annually. For raw sewage to spew into the water it only takes 1/10th of an inch of rain for sewers to overflow because the systems are so dated and now poorly designed to deal with the increase in sewage. New York also struggles to keep runoff water out of its surrounding bodies. runoff water carries a lot harmful chemicals that trickle into the larger bodies, carrying all the pollutants with it. When the runoff is caught in catch basins and sent to wastewater treatment plants, the treatment plants aren't able to clean the water fully because of certain pollutants. 

Solution: Unfortunately, there is not an immediate solution to this problem because so much damage has been done. But change needs to happen quickly to speed the healing process. It is urgent that our government has pressure to speed the process of cleaning New York's water and to change the old sewer lines immediately. This is demanding, but our New York City environment deserves it. 

Why it matters: Its our world. Our problem.