Unhealthy air quality in NYC not expected to affect water, per EPA
June 8, 2023, 7:45 p.m.
The EPA says one thing New Yorkers don’t have to worry about is water quality.
The smoke from Canadian wildfires that has deteriorated New York City’s air quality shouldn't affect water quality in the area, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This week has been a crash course for New Yorkers in dealing with smokey conditions as many learned, among other things, what the air quality index is exactly, the health effects of smoke, and how to protect themselves and their pets.
But according to the EPA, one thing New Yorkers don’t have to worry about is water quality. When reached for comment, the EPA told Gothamist the smoke wasn’t expected to notably affect it.
“EPA does not expect any significant impacts from the wildfire smoke on the surface water or groundwater sources around NYC,” EPA spokesperson Stephen McBay said in an email. “The particles from the smoke are mostly organic matter that can be naturally degraded or diluted by the water cycle.”
Conditions were particularly bad on Wednesday, when the air quality index hit a 484, Mayor Eric Adams said. In and around subway stations, those numbers were even worse. The air quality crisis prompted city and state officials to issue air quality alerts, recommending that people stay indoors and wear masks.
According to the National Weather Service, air quality was expected to improve substantially Thursday night and into Friday, with even more clearing over the weekend.