The Department of Environmental Conservation is taking public comment on new regulations under the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act, which requires public notification when sewage is discharged into waterways. Under the proposed rules, water treatment plants and sewage systems would have to notify DEC within two hours of a spill. Local officials and the general public would have to be notified within four hours. The public notifications are made through the NY-Alert electronic system which is accessible online.  The DEC says some sewage overflows caused by heavy rain can't be detected by the existing systems at treatment plants. To address that, the rules require plant operators to issue advisories when enough rain has fallen to make overflows likely.  The comment period ends August 15.

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