Invasive Species Are Threatening the Quality of New York’s Tap Water

Zebra mussels, a fingernail-sized mollusk, a fast-growing aquatic plant and a water flea are threatening New York's water supply.

Invasive species are non-native to ecosystems in which they reside, and often pose significant threats to native plants and animals.

In the most recent fiscal year , the Department of Environmental Protection has spent nearly $100 million on source water protection across the watershed.

Hydrilla , an aquatic plant known to spread across the surface of lakes, ponds and slow-moving rivers in a thick dense mat of vegetation, has also arrived in the Croton Reservoir .

The presence of hydrilla in the reservoir can have implications for not just the marine ecosystem, but also the water quality and the survival of local birds.

Around 40 percent of New York’s freshwater is connected to canals, which makes it easier for species to move around.

Without a change in policy, it is possible that more invasive species will make their way to the city's reservoirs, impacting the ecosystems that support the quality of New Yorkers ’ drinking water and recreational fishing.