The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has long prided itself on the quality of the city’s drinking water and the intricate system that delivers it to each tap. However, in recent years, three invasive species have emerged to threaten the water quality in the city’s oldest reservoir, the Croton system. These species, including a fast-growing aquatic plant, a fingernail-sized mollusk, and a water flea, have made homes in the system and pose a significant threat to native plants and animals.
Invasive species are non-native to an ecosystem and are often introduced through human intervention. They can be costly to get rid of and require significant resources to manage. In the past fiscal year, the Department of Environmental Protection has spent nearly $100 million on source water protection, with over $1.5 million dedicated to managing invasive species.
One of the most concerning invaders is the zebra mussel, a small mollusk from Eurasia that arrived in the Croton system in 2021. It is believed that the mussels were introduced through a bass tournament held on a private lake within the watershed. Despite efforts to prevent their spread, the zebra mussels have proven difficult to stop and have already caused significant damage to the ecosystem.
As the city’s water supply network undergoes repairs, the New Croton Reservoir will play a larger role in supplying water to the city. However, the presence of these invasive species poses a threat to the reservoir’s water quality and the city’s unfiltered water supply. The Department of Environmental Protection continues to work towards managing and preventing the spread of these invaders, but the battle against invasive species is ongoing and costly.
