NYC finally bans boating on lake polluted with human waste after 20 years of contamination

NY Post ^ | 9/12/26 | David Spector

[Libloather]

Fishing and boating on a Staten Island lake that was polluted by human waste has finally been closed by authorities, one week after The Post reported that officials had done nothing about the “open secret” for decades.

The Parks Department told The Post in a statement Friday evening that “out of an abundance of caution, fishing and boating will be suspended in Clove Lakes Park while we await water testing results.”

The Post spoke to boat rental workers earlier in the day who said that boat rentals had been open all week.

The workers informed The Post that parkgoers continued to boat on the sewage-polluted lake, but that sales dropped following last week’s revelations about the crappy calamity.

“Hopefully sales will go back up next summer when they fix the pollution,” the staffer said.

Ahead of the closure, authorities were scrambling to fix the situation.

The Stone House at Clove Lakes Park erected PVC pipes to reroute their sewer line away from the lake and directly into a Parks Department manhole instead, The Post confirmed.

“The restaurant has been all over it,” a source said.

The restaurant also added outdoor trailer bathrooms that do not connect to the sewer line, The Post observed.

“So many people are horrified and glad it’s being addressed,” a Staten Island parkgoer said.

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TOPICS: Outdoors; Science; Sports; Travel
KEYWORDS: contamination; human; polluted; waste

[Libloather]

Dinner is served. If the hush puppies taste a little funny, doanworryaboudid.

[spokeshave]

Swimmers eh.....?....they were just going through the motions.

For us oldies ...recall this classic:

I was swimming on my side....and my back..but just couldn't get to sleep

And the last mile was on land.

[Bob434]

lawyers are lining up with $$ signs in their eye$- 20 year ‘open secret’ that endangered people? Kaching!

[broken_clock]

George Carlin has a funny one on his immune system and swimming as a kid in the polluted East River in NY ;-)

[crusty old prospector]

Cue Caddyshack. “Doodoo!”

[PAR35]

fishing and boating will be suspended

Good, they don't mention a ban on swimming, and now swimmers won't have to worry about the boats.

I do feel sorry for the boaters, however. Where else are they going to be able to find water around Staten ISLAND.