City Of Syracuse Dept. Of Engineering/Water Division
SPDES Permit - Skaneateles Lake NY0300004
Applicant
City of Syracuse
City Hall
233 E Washington St
Syracuse, NY 13202
Facility
City of Syracuse Dept of Eng/Water Div
20 W Genesee St, Skaneateles Lake
Skaneateles, NY 13152
DEC Application ID Nos.
Article 17 Titles 7 & 8 Industrial SPDES - Surface Discharge - (7-3150-00112/00004)
Project Description:
The City of Syracuse applied to DEC for a State Pollutant Elimination System (SPDES) Permit to discharge EarthTec to Skaneateles Lake to protect the City's drinking water intakes from algal toxins. As described in the January 26, 2022 Environmental Notice Bulletin, a virtual legislative public comment hearing to hear and receive unsworn comments from the public was held on March 1, 2022 at 6:00 p.m..
The SPDES permit authorizes the City of Syracuse to treat Skaneateles Lake with the algicide, EarthTec, to decrease the density of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria that contribute to harmful algal blooms near the City's drinking water intakes. The use of EarthTec would occur in the northern portion of the lake, extending 750 ft waterward from the shoreline along a 36,850 ft length of shoreline stretching from the DEC Boat Launch (Fire Lane 15) on the western shoreline of the lake, along the northern shoreline to the eastern shoreline of the lake to Kingston Brook (south of the Skaneateles Sailing Club). The use of EarthTec would occur no more than twice per calendar year within this shoreline treatment area and would be limited to specifications on the product label. The City would provide pre-treatment notification 48 hours prior to an EarthTec application to the state officials, local officials, beach/resource managers, the Skaneateles Lake Association, and to riparian owners and users. The City would also provide daily post-treatment monitoring of microcystin concentration and would notify local and state health departments if the microcystin concentration were at or above the 4 microgram per liter threshold for re-opening a swimming area.
SPDES Permit and Supporting Documents:
- SPDES Permit - Skaneateles Lake NY0300004 (PDF)
- SPDES Permit Fact Sheet - Skaneateles Lake NY0300004 (PDF)
- Responsiveness Summary - Skaneateles Lake NY0300004 (PDF)
- SPDES Permit Application - Skaneateles Lake NY0300004 (PDF)
