What's in the Water?

Hurricane Sandy left many devastated. In Gowanus, the canal famous for its color and stench flooded into the streets. The water was sent tearing town the sidewalks and into many homes, such as the basements of Tony Locane and Rob McKenna. During the recovery process, many found their furniture or objects that were soaked in the Gowanus water covered in gunk, or smelling foully. Tony Locane even found his legs covered in “a greasy, oily slick” when he went down to rescue his equipment from the surging water. This recent discovery has left new Yorkers wondering- what actually is in the Gowanus? And should we be concerned?

I have lived fairly near to the Gowanus for several years, but have never thought about what might be in that canal. Despite the many times I have walked over it and been horrified by the odor, or repulsed by the color, I have never looked into it. But when the water actually started overflowing into people’s homes, some research was done. The Gowanus Canal was carved out of a marsh-like area. And some of that consistency is still present at the bottom. Over time, coal yards, chemical plants and other heavy industries have been built on the edge of the water. I have noticed that when walking over the Gowanus Canal if it is raining, there is a particularly strong smell, and I have always wondered why. I was disgusted to find out that when it is raining, the local sewage system can overflow easily, and dump the raw sewage into the canal.

After learning that the water that traveled up Bond and Nevins Street might be contaminated with sewage, toxic materials or oil picked up from the sidewalks, people felt a little less comfortable. Unfortunately there wasn’t much to do, except follow the Environmental officials instructions: get the water out of your house as soon as possible and then clean with bleach. (Remember to wear goggles and gloves!) Even so, the buildings and warehouses that the water reached were filled with a putrid smell, or the faint odor of gasoline for days.

            I have always known that the Gowanus was not the cleanest of places, but this disaster surely shone light on the subject. I now know more than I ever wanted to about the Gowanus Canal. As horrific as it was, this article made me want to look into the history of the canal in depth, and see exactly how it became this way. If there were a way to non-pollute the water, I would help in any way that I could. Until then, I will just try to do my part to not contribute to pollution.  People say that this type of flooding will happen again, and there is discussion about how to deal with it. The community is a tight one, however, and most people have decided to stay put. What we need to do is make some modifications to people’s homes to try and prevent flooding the next time it happens, because Hurricane Sandy was not a one-time thing. “I think we need to have an honest discussion about how we’re going to go forward, but I’m not going anywhere.” – Michael King, resident and architect on 2^nd street.