Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) provides, operates, and maintains access to vital services for the residents of the Refuse Disposal District No. 1, the Sewer Districts, and the Water District. The Department is comprised of two divisions: The Refuse & Recycling Division, and the Wastewater & Water Division.
Recycling & Refuse Division
The Recycling & Refuse Division serves as the New York State designated Planning Unit for Westchester’s 43 municipalities, and manages Refuse Disposal District No. 1, to which 36 of the County’s municipalities belong. The Refuse & Recycling Division manages several solid waste and recycling facilities, which handle about 90% of the County’s residential waste stream, and manages recycling and waste reduction programs and services.
Wastewater & Water Division
The Wastewater & Water Division operates facilities that treat wastewater and supply clean drinking water to District residents. More than 45 billion gallons of district wastewater a year are processed through seven water resource recovery facilities, 42 wastewater pumping stations, and 194 miles of trunk sewers and force mains. Water District #3, managed by the Division, supplies ten billion gallons of drinking water annually to District residents utilizing technologies such as three ultraviolet treatment facilities, and 4 water pumping stations.
Summary Status Update Report on Activities 3 (Municipal Negotiations)
And 4 (Evaluation Program Development)
| Oct. 2, 2015 | The county receives correspondence from the Village of Rye Brook Administrator with a revised draft IMA incorporating changes agreed to by five municipalities: Rye Brook, Rye, Harrison, Scarsdale and White Plains. |
| Nov. 5, 2015 | The county responds in writing to the five municipalities stating the proposed changes that are acceptable and those that are not acceptable and enclosing a “final IMA”. |
| Nov. 12, 2015 | The county receives an email from the Rye Brook Administrator briefly describing objections to the IMA, stating the five municipalities plus other LISWIC members would be meeting on November 13, 2015 to discuss the latest IMA , and requesting a meeting the following week to discuss the IMA. |
| Nov. 17, 2015 | The county and the five municipalities plus other LISWIC members meet to discuss the IMA. |
| Nov. 18, 2015 | The county distributes to the Rye Brook Administrator an IMA revised to reflect those changes the County accepted at the 11/17/2015 meeting. |
| Nov. 20, 2015 | The county transmits to the Village of Mamaroneck a draft IMA modified to reflect the Village’s outstanding Consent Order with NYSDEC. |
| Nov. 24, 2015 | The county notified the Municipalities of the NYSDEC Municipal Sewage System Asset Management Pilot Program and requested a status update on SSES and CMOM development. The municipalities had nothing to report at this time. |
| Dec. 9 - 16, 2015 | The county received proposed CMOM programs from the four municipalities in the New Rochelle Sewer District indicating the four municipalities had commenced CMOM programs. |
| Dec. 21, 2015 | The Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees authorized its village manager to enter into the IMA with the county. |
| Dec. 22, 2015 | The county transmitted detailed comments on the proposed CMOM program to each of the four municipalities in the New Rochelle Sewer District. |
| Dec. 31, 2015 | The County transmits to the Village of Port Chester a draft IMA modified to reflect the Village’s outstanding Consent Order with NYSDEC. |
| Jan. 13, 2016 | The county receives a revised draft IMA from the Village of Port Chester. |
| Jan. 15, 2016 | The county transmits to the Village of Port Chester a revised draft IMA. |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | Village of Port Chester notifies the county that its Board of Trustees has authorized the Village Manager to sign the IMA. |
| Feb. 4, 2016 | The county receives the IMA signed by the Village Manager of the Village of Port Chester. |
| Feb. 5, 2016 | The county transmits to the City of White Plains a revised draft IMA. |
| Feb. 5, 2016 | The county receives from the Village of Mamaroneck the IMA signed by its Village Manager. |
| Feb. 9, 2016 | The Town of Mamaroneck transmits its revised CMOM Program to the county in response to comments on Feb. 5, 2016. |
| Feb. 10, 2016 | The Town of Mamaroneck transmits its revised CMOM Program to the county in response to comments on Feb. 5, 2016. |
| _________________________ | |
| Jan. 19, 2016 | Village of Port Chester Board of Trustees approves the IMA with Respondent. |
| Jan. 22, 2016 | Respondent receives revised CMOM programs from Village of Pelham Manor, Village of Larchmont, City of New Rochelle and Town of Mamaroneck. |
| Feb. 5, 2016 | Respondent transmits revised Draft IMA to the City of White Plains. |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | Respondent receives letter from Village of Rye Brook regarding proposed IMA and Village SSES efforts. |
| March 11, 2016 | Respondent receives letter from Town/Village of Scarsdale regarding the proposed IMA and Town/Village sewer rehabilitation efforts. |
| April 13, 2016 | Respondent prepares a letter for Rye Brook, Scarsdale, White Plains, Rye, and Harrison setting a final date for each municipality to approve an IMA or administrative enforcement of the County Sewer Act will be initiated. |
| May 13, 2016 | Respondent meets with New Rochelle Sewer District municipalities to discuss scope for a joint study to evaluate alternative organizational structures for the ownership, operation and maintenance of municipal sanitary sewers. |
| May 13, 2016 | Respondent, municipalities located with Respondents Long Island Sound Sewer Districts, Save the Sound (CFE) and NYSDEC meet in New Paltz to discuss possible modification of the Flow Reduction provisions of the 2008 Order on Consent to enable settlement of Save the Sound’s federal lawsuit against respondent and municipalities. May 15, 2016 Respondent’s attorney met with NYSDEC attorneys and six attorneys representing the municipalities that have not yet signed IMAs with the Respondent to discuss possible modifications to the Long Island Sound Flow Monitoring Report. (Attendance Sheet attached.) |
| May 15, 2016 | Respondent’s attorney met with NYSDEC attorneys and six attorneys representing the municipalities that have not yet signed IMAs with the Respondent to discuss possible modifications to the Long Island Sound Flow Monitoring Report. See attendance sheet. |
| June 29, 2016 | The Second Quarterly Status Report in Connecticut Fund for the Environment, et. al., against Westchester County New York, et. al., (USDC 7:15-cv-06323-CS) was submitted and reports progress in the consideration of a “Cooperative Regional Resolution” including that “…the municipal defendants are comparing the scopes of work of their individual Sewer System Evaluation Studies (“SSES”) which are in various stages of implementation by the individual municipal defendants…”. |
| Aug. 21, 2016 | The Town of Mamaroneck, City of New Rochelle, and Villages of Pelham Manor and Larchmont, having formed a Consortium to complete a Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) study, in accordance with their separate Inter-municipal Agreements (IMA) with Respondent, entered into a contract with GHD to perform the SSES in each municipality and Dolph Rotfeld Engineers to supervise that work for the Consortium. See contract with GHD and contract schedule. |
| The Consortium previously has requested Westchester County’s assistance in evaluating opportunities and alternatives for economically addressing anticipated renewal and replacement requirements for the sanitary sewer system. In October 2016, Respondent selected Arcadis to conduct Phase 1 of a “Consortium Sewer District Feasibility Study”. This study will evaluate opportunities and alternatives for economically addressing anticipated renewal and replacement requirements for the sanitary sewer system in each municipality. Respondent is now negotiating an IMA to be signed with each municipality under which the costs for Phase 1 will be divided between Respondent and the four municipalities. | |
| _________________________ | |
| Nov. 18, 2016 | Westchester County representatives from the CE, Law Department and DEF met with attorneys representing 10 of the 11 municipalities within one or more of the County’s Long Island Sound Sewer Districts. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss improved cooperation between the parties in working towards a settlement of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, et. al., against Westchester County New York, et. al., (USDC 7:15-cv-06323-CS) litigation. It was decided that the lawyers for the County and the municipalities would meet to further discuss the details of a cooperative defense and that engineers for the municipalities would continue to be provided with back up data generated as part of the Flow Monitoring Program Report. |
| Dec. 1, 2016 | The IMA between Respondent and the Village of Mamaroneck became effective. |
| Dec. 13, 2016 | The IMA between Respondent and the Village of Port Chester became effective. |
| Dec. 21, 2016 | Westchester County representatives from DEF met with engineers and staff representing the municipalities within each of the County’s Long Island Sound Sewer Districts, other than the New Rochelle Sewer District. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss plans and progress of these municipalities in developing and implementing Sewer System Evaluation Studies and CMOM programs. |
| Dec. 7, 2016 – Jan. 6, 2017 |
Westchester County DCE corresponds with representatives of the Town/ Village of Harrison, Village/Town of Scarsdale and Village of Rye Brook regarding the terms of an IMA regarding I&I. |
| Jan. 12, 2017 | Westchester County representatives from the CE, Law Department and DEF met with attorneys and administrators representing the four municipalities within the New Rochelle Sewer District. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the ongoing work of the municipalities under their IMAs with the County and the County’s efforts to obtain similar commitments from the municipalities in the other Long Island Sound Sewer Districts. |
| Jan. 20, 2017 | Westchester County representatives from the Law Department and DEF met with lawyers, engineers and administrators representing the municipalities within the County’s Long Island Sound Sewer Districts, other than the New Rochelle Sewer District. The purpose of the meeting was to further discuss and clarify plans and progress of these municipalities in developing and implementing Sewer System Evaluation Studies and CMOM programs and the information the County had available that could assist in this work. |
| Jan. 20, 2017 | The Village of Port Chester submitted its first quarterly report pursuant to its IMA with Westchester County. |
| Jan. 31, 2017 | Westchester County received a copy of the Village of Mamaroneck’s report to NYSDEC detailing the I&I work it had completed under its Consent Order with NYSDEC. |
| Feb. 3, 2017 | Westchester County DEF, following its receipt of the letter from NYSDEC dated February 1, 2017 directing DEF to provide additional information, sent letters dated February 3, 2017, to the City of White Plains, the City of Rye, the Village of Rye Brook, the Village/Town of Scarsdale, and the Town/Village of Harrison requesting each of these municipalities to provide additional information regarding the development and implementation of sewer system evaluation studies in each of those municipalities by February 10, 2017(copies attached). |
| Feb. 8, 2017 |
Westchester County DEF received a response to its letter by e-mail from the City of White Plains. |
| Feb. 9, 2017 | Westchester County DEF received a response to its letter from the attorneys for the Village of Rye Brook. |
| Feb. 10, 2017 | Westchester County DEF received a response to its letter Village/Town of Scarsdale. RFP for SSSES |
| Feb. 10, 2017 | Westchester County DEF received a response to its letter from the City of Rye. |
| Feb. 10, 2017 | Westchester County DEF received a response to its letter from the Town/Village of Harrison. |
The information appearing on this Web site is for general informational purposes only. Westchester County does not endorse any particular company or service listed and cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of any services provided by these entities. The listing does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department of Environmental Facilities.
County government has many programs, including those that focus on recycling, climate change and sustainability and land preservation. It operates four solid waste and recycling facilities and established the Solid Waste Commission to foster honesty and competition in the garbage collection industry.
Recycling is the law for all residents, businesses and schools in Westchester County. To report a suspected violation, file the Recycling Complaint Form with the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities.
Annual Recycling Rate
In 2015, Westchester County recycled 54 percent of its total waste stream. Also, the volume of residential trash generated within the county decreased for the seventh consecutive year.
Recycling extends to all sectors
Larger businesses, schools and institutions are also required to file a solid waste disposal and recycling plan with the county every three years. Recycling is moving ahead in Westchester: plastic containers coded 3 through 7 were added to the county’s list of mandated recyclables under the Westchester County Source Separation Law in 2011. Now, municipal and private haulers are required to accept and residents, businesses, schools and institutions are required to source separate plastics coded 1 through 7, in commingled recycling bins.
Daniel P. Thomas Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
The Daniel P. Thomas Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where 90 percent of the residentially collected recyclable material in Westchester County is processed, recently underwent a five-month retrofit. Now high tech optical sorting equipment shoots thousands of laser beams per second through each plastic container to identify the resin type. This allows the county to continue recycling plastic containers coded 1 and 2 and also collect and recycle containers coded 3 through 7, including yogurt containers, plastic cups and take-out food boxes.
Household Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF)
The Household Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF) is open at the centrally located Grasslands campus at Valhalla. The H-MRF accepts household hazardous waste and all other items that are collected by appointment.
Waste reduction by donating and recycling used items
One significant way that everyone can contribute to environmental conservation is through waste reduction. In addition, old products can also be donated to reduce additions to the waste stream. Charities accept old furniture, clothing, toys, and other items for reuse.
Additional environmental initiatives
The county continues to buy hybrid cars, as well buses that run on ultra low-sulfur fuels. We are always looking for alternative fuel vehicles and methods to better our local and global environment.
We provide financial incentives for septic system owners to properly maintain their septic systems and protect the environment. We buy cleaning supplies that don't harm the environment and promote pest-management methods that do not rely on pesticides. We protect open space and have enacted laws to get contaminants such as mercury out of our water. And we adhere to high environmental standards at our airport, which is one of only a few in the nation where the management system has achieved ISO 14001 certification.
The county also supports and promotes backyard composting and mulching-in-place practices, as well as food waste programs, which divert food from the waste stream to feed those in need.
Our goal is to be innovative, to take small and large steps to make a difference.
Depending on your questions, comments or concerns, use the appropriate channel to contact us.
Recycling Help Line
Seven days a week, 9 a.m to 7 p.m.
Phone: (914) 813-5425
Recycling Complaint Form
Please fill out this form to file a recycling complaint
Department of Environmental Facilities
Phone: (914) 813-5400
e-mail:
Municipal Recycling Offices : Contact for Questions specific to your municipality
Mailing address:
Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
270 North Avenue, 6th Floor
New Rochelle, NY 10801
Wastewater:
- To file a Complaint About Odor
Fill out the Odor Complaint Form - To sign up for notifications
Join the Yonkers Joint WWRF Notification List
Refuse & Recycling:
- To file a Complaint about improper Recycling
Fill out the Recycling Complaint Form - Contact us for a CompostED Tour:
- Contact us for a MRF Tour:
- Contact the Recycling Help Line
Seven days a week, 9 a.m to 7 p.m.
Phone: (914) 813-5425 - Department of Environmental Facilities
Phone: (914) 813-5400
e-mail: - Questions specific to your municipality
Contact local Municipal Recycling Offices
Wastewater:
To file a Complaint About Odor
Fill out the Odor Complaint Form
To sign up for notifications
Join the Yonkers Joint WWRF Notification List
Refuse & Recycling:
To file a Complaint about improper Recycling
Fill out the Recycling Complaint Form
Contact us for a CompostED Tour:
Contact the Recycling Help Line
Seven days a week, 9 a.m to 7 p.m.
Phone: (914) 813-5425
Department of Environmental Facilities
Phone: (914) 813-5400
e-mail:
Questions specific to your municipality
Contact local Municipal Recycling Offices