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January, 1995:

United States: City of New York Reverses Partial Ban on Residential Disposers, Finds Benefits Exceed Negligible Impact on Sewer System, Water Quality

New York City had banned food waste disposals in areas served by combined storm and sanitary sewers since the 1970s. In 1995, the City Council directed the city‘s Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a 21-month pilot project that studied the impacts of using disposals on the environment, public health, and the cost associated with operating the water and sewer system. The impact of grease and food solids on sewers, the impact on water consumption, and the impact of possible increased pollutant loading on receiving waters were among the various issues examined. The study concluded that the impact of food waste disposals in any of these areas was “de minimus,” and the previous ban was overturned.

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