In Sickness and in Health: A History of Sewers and Sanitation in Brooklyn

During the mid-19th century, Brooklynites helped pioneer a vastly ambitious public works project: one of the first comprehensive public sewer systems in the United States. It would transform life in the city, combatting the problems of disease and pollution created by inadequate infrastructure, an uneven understanding of disease transmission, and rapid population growth. This PL event invites NYC educators to learn about what lies below the city’s surface and explore the pipes, people, technologies, and policies that built and continue to maintain the most vital of public utilities.

First, attendees will join the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for a presentation and tour of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility, the largest of its kind in NYC. Learn about the wastewater treatment process and the history of NYC’s wastewater system, explore educational exhibits on innovative waste-to-energy projects, receive curriculum resources, and find out how students can experience DEP education programs in Greenpoint or in the classroom.

Educators will then walk to Greenpoint Public Library’s Environmental Education Center (c.10 min walk), where historian Gwynneth Malin, Associate Faculty at NYU/Gallatin, will lead a talk and workshop drawing on photographs and primary source documents. Dr. Malin will explore what came before the sewers, how the city and state assumed responsibility for public water and public sanitation during the mid-19th century, and how sewers developed in different Brooklyn neighborhoods. Next, Environmental Justice Coordinator Acacia Thompson will give a brief environmental history of Greenpoint, Brooklyn and how wastewater management and city sewers have impacted the community.

Attendees will receive lunch at no cost as well as 5 CTLE credits.