Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Thursday a $115 million agreement to improve the overall water quality and preserve marshlands in Jamaica Bay, in Queens.
"Jamaica Bay is without question one of the most bountiful wildlife habitats in the entire Northeast," said Bloomberg in a release.
The city will contribute $100 million to installing new nitrogen control technologies at the wastewater treatment plants on Jamaica Bay.
The upgrade is expected to cut nitrogen discharge by nearly half over the next decade. The other $15 million will go to marshland restoration projects around the bay. Nitrogen is a naturally-occurring component of all wastewater.
Although it poses no risk to human beings, high levels of nitrogen can ruin the overall ecology of a waterway as they lead to excessive algae growth and reduced levels of dissolved oxygen.
