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New York Consolidated Laws, Environmental Conservation Law - ENV § 17-1709. Discharge of sewage and other offensive matter into Lake George and Skaneateles lake prohibited

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

1. No person or corporation shall cause or permit the fall, flow or discharge into Lake George or Skaneateles lake or any of their tributaries, of any sewage matter, or other foul, noxious or deleterious, solid or liquid matter or effluent from any sewage disposal plant, or any matter that may be declared such by the board of health of any municipality adjacent to such lakes where any such fall, flow or discharge shall occur.

2. The board of health of any such municipality shall examine into any alleged offense against this section within its jurisdiction and cause the same to be abated, by injunction or otherwise, if found to exist.

3. The discharge of sewage or treated sewage effluent into the drainage basin of Lake George is hereby prohibited except as follows:

(a) Subsurface sewage disposal facilities with a design capacity of one thousand gallons per day or less are permitted to discharge within the basin provided said facilities are designed, constructed, operated and maintained in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations and permits issued pursuant thereto.

(b) Subsurface sewage disposal facilities with a design capacity of greater than one thousand gallons per day are permitted to discharge within the basin provided that such facilities:

(i) discharge treated sewage effluent to land or groundwater;

(ii) are designed to meet best technology available;

(iii) are in compliance with a valid state pollutant discharge elimination system (SPDES) permit;

(iv) are designed to meet existing needs only;  and

(v) are designed, operated and maintained in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

(c) The commissioner shall prepare a technical manual describing the best technologies available for sewage disposal facilities within the Lake George basin, which shall include, but not be limited to, specifications for the design, construction, maintenance and monitoring of such facilities and performance standards for nutrient removal.  The commissioner shall complete the manual within eighteen months of the effective date of this subdivision and shall notice completion of the manual in the state register and the environmental notice bulletin.

4. Repealed.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Environmental Conservation Law - ENV § 17-1709. Discharge of sewage and other offensive matter into Lake George and Skaneateles lake prohibited - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/environmental-conservation-law/env-sect-17-1709/

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